Guarded Souls
by LoyalSlytherinForever
Summary: seq to Weary Hearts. After five years in France Harry returns to the UK with his dads, to attend Hogwarts. But there he faces both dangers from Death Eaters on the run and from the headmaster himself. warn slash, AU/OOC
1. prologue

Severus stood in the doorway to the back gardens watching Harry and Draco as they were racing around the back gardens on their new brooms. They both received Nimbus 2000's from Lucius for their birthday, Harry that very day. They were now both eleven and Draco was set to attend Hogwarts and Harry was intended for Beauxbautons Academy with many of his friends. Harry's best friend was still Draco but he had made a number here in France including the Delacaur children whose estate was just up the road from here. The couple's eldest two Andre and Fleur were older, Andre already in his sixth year and Fleur in her fourth, but Anton was Harry's age and Gabrielle was two years younger then Harry. Anton was out with the boys playing while Gabrielle was watching from a bench, not much of a player.

Life had been good to them in France, Severus sharing a smile with his husband who was putting the finishing touches on the food. He and Remus had grown close raising Harry and had been married for three years now. Because of hex damage and Remus' curse they could have no children together but had legally adopted Harry. Severus had enjoyed his work for the hospital here and Remus had been writing not only texts but had published recently his second kid's book inspired by their son. Harry excelled in his studies, Remus all over again, with his sense of humour and heart but he loved working with Severus in the lab as well.

Lucius though stood with his brother and had brought interesting news from home. Severus had not been surprised when Harry had of course received his letter from Hogwarts even though they made it clear he would attend Beauxbautons. But it seemed that Albus had changed little and was not taking no for an answer.

Lucius handed him the offer. "Albus offers you your position back as potions professor and head of Slytherin, so that you can be close to your son."

Severus sneered. "The man once swore he would never allow me to teach there again. He just wants to get his hands on my son."

There were many reasons for them to return back to the UK greatest of which was that Hogwarts was the school Harry belonged at. Though he had friends here they knew he should be going to school with Draco. Though Charlie had graduated, Harry had met the other Weasley kids and many were still there. Their main concern had been they had not wished to send their son back there alone, even with Draco. But now there was an offer so both his dads would have been there with him.

Lucius sighed. "You have built a life here and work you love. Do not be pressured to do anything, but we know Harry belongs at the school."

Severus turned from his son. "I know and I know he would love to be at school with Draco. And all of his parents went to school there. But it still worries me."

His husband had come and joined them and he admitted he had the same misgivings as his husband. They both knew Albus was not the only risk to their son in attending Hogwarts. They knew there were others out there, Death Eater who had not gone to prison. But Hogwarts was as safe as any where as long as they could protect him from the headmaster. They were reminded the man had tried when Harry was under the school roof before but their son was older now and he could protect himself, and other staff members like Poppy and Filius were sure to help them keep an eye on their son as well.

Remus had told his husband he would stand by any choice; it was Severus who had a career to leave behind. Remus could write from any where. He had thought in a few years when the aging DADA professor here retired he might be able to take over but it was not enough to keep them there.

Remus watched as the boys were landing. "I say we wait until at least tomorrow and then we talk to our son. He is old enough now to have a choice in the matter."

Severus kissed him and agreed with Remus. "He does. I am willing to go back to teaching and do potions for the hospital, to allow Harry to attend Hogwarts."

There was a part of both men who had missed the UK. They had created a life here that they had come to care about and it was where they were married and raised their son really but they were both born and raised in the UK, had attended Hogwarts and called it home. Severus still often thought about Spinner's End. They could not deny party of them would be happy to be back in their own home but their son would always be their main concern, both his safety and his happiness as well.

Harry popped in with his brother and friend, his other friends soon to arrive. "Is there something wrong Dad?"

Severus had pocketed the letter from Hogwarts. "Nothing Prince. Lucius and I were just talking about how well you boys fly. Your other friends should arrive soon."

Though Harry knew his dad and Uncle well enough to know they were not telling him the truth about something Harry shook away the thought. It was his eleventh birthday and he was going to enjoy it. He had a feeling his dads had got him an owl or at least an IOU for it and he was excited for the gift. Severus watched his son go of and reminded himself they would speak of it to him tomorrow.


	2. return to Hogwarts

The sorting ceremony had finished and the students were all waiting anxiously for the food to come but those who had been there before were aware there would be the usual speeches as always. The headmaster always introduced the new staff and reminded everyone about the usual, like the forest and products that had been banned again, a list which seemed to grow every year. Everyone who had been there before had noticed the new potions professor had yet to come, having been told at the end of the last year that the old teacher was finally retiring. It had been news since other than DADA they had not had a new teacher in years, Quirell being the first DADA teacher in years who had actually come back for a second year, though he had an odd smell some of them had already smelled.

Draco though who was sitting to no shock at Slytherin shared a smile with Blaise. "I am so happy they decided to come. I can't even wait to see some faces here."

Blaise was cut off by the headmaster who had got to the end of his speech. "And now to welcome our new potions professor, Professor Snape and his family."

The doors opened and all eyes went to the tall lanky professor, well a dark haired man with a beak of a nose and another man with tawny brown hair but all the eyes went instead to the young man with them. It had been decades since there had been a spouse and kids at the school though it had not been so uncommon always but it was the identity of the young man who stood with them. Though they were introduced as the Snapes, Severus and his husband Remus, and their eleven year old son Harry, there was no doubt who their son had been before he was adopted. There was no missing the scar on his head. The kids had grown up on stories but they had all been under the belief he was attending some foreign school as they knew he had been away for protection.

Harry walked with his dads up front and shared a smile with the ones he knew; mainly Draco and Blaise as well as he caught sight of the Weasley boys. He had kept in touch with Charlie but he had not seen him since he moved to France. Charlie was at the head table for he had since graduation been apprenticing in care of magical creatures and had another year left, taking over the following year. Harry had been surprised when his dads had said they were considering coming back here and they had only decided as a family a few weeks back. Harry had been all set to attend Beauxbautons with André. But his dads had been here ad Draco was here.

Professor McGonagall, one of the teachers he of course remembered had come with the sorting hat. "You missed the ceremony.'

Severus sent a look at her. "Unfortunately we were delayed in London or my son would have been on time. I suspect we should move and stop delaying dinner."

Harry sat down on the stool which Filius who he still remembered with a smile had thought to accio for him, and put the hat on his head. He knew his birth parents and Remus had been Gryffindors but his Dad had been a Slytherin and as cool as Charlie's brothers always seemed to be, he hoped to be with his best friend. Draco smirked at him from the house table and mouthed he better hurry up and join them at their table.

The entire school waited to hear where the famous boy who lived would be placed and it oddly took some time but finally called ``Slytherin. '

Harry was relieved as he headed off for Slytherin for though he would not have minded being with Charlie`s brothers, he always telling Harry about the jokes and pranks the twins were doing, he could not spend seven years with their obnoxious little brother Ron who Harry clearly remembered when he was a kid. He was of course relieved to be with his best friend and he knew Blaise as well.

Draco clapped him on the back. ``I told you there was no worry that you would be with me in Slytherin. You're too much like your dad. ``

Harry shrugged. ``The hat actually spoke and was going to make me a lion or at least was thinking about it. You know Papa and my parents were after all. ``

There were a few shocked faces for not even the older kids had ever heard of the hat giving a choice or even talking to the person. But the house was so happy they had Harry in the house and they were gloating. Some may have worried that the boy who lived was in a house full of kids of former Death Eaters but there were only a few concerns among the kids and Severus was happy his son was in his house. Minerva was too much of an Albus flunky and he worried after his son in her house. Albus would always be a main concern but they made it clear to the man that for even a moment they worried about their son`s safety they would take him right back away again to France if not further. It had taken Albus few years thanks to Lucius for the man to realize they were in France.

Albus smiled as the feast was ending. ``I am happy you came to your senses and realized Harry belonged here. We need to put these foolish dreams behind us. ``

Severus kept his calm as they were in front of so many people. ``My son might no longer be six but I assure you I am keeping an eye on him. ``

The headmaster did not respond to that and went back to his food but he had a feeling this would not be the last time they spoke to each other about this subject. He just hoped he could keep Albus way from his son for Harry deserved to be here at the school and it would not be fair to uproot Harry again and move him to another school. His son deserved to have a chance of a normal school life and he and his husband were going to make sure Harry got that.


	3. flying class

Harry had been unsure about coming to Hogwarts for he would miss Andre and his friends there as well as the headmaster. But he had good memories of some of the staff and he had loved the ghosts and the pitch here at school. He was living in the dorms but they were in the dungeons like he had lived last time he had been here before and his dads were right down the hall from him. His dad had warned him of a few kids in his house who if the war begun again would likely be on the other side but the only risk in his year was Theodore Nott; Vince, Greg and Blaise were good guys and the girls seemed cool enough. He had known Blaise who had come several times to France over the years often with Draco and his parents and by the end of their first week of classes, the three of them had become inseparable.

Harry had found that being a celebrity at the school was definitely the downside of being here at Hogwarts. Though Harry Potter, his birth name, was known abroad, it was no where near as famous any where else. He would have been Harry Snape and that was that in France, having grown tired of reminding students here he was a Snape and was no longer a Potter. His dad adopted him when he was six, and his Papa after the two were married in Paris, when he was eight. Remus though had gone from Uncle Moony to Papa long before that though. He wished they could have got rid of the scar but even muggle doctors had found it impossible to cover up.

On Friday though Harry was happy for they were having their first flying lesson. It was the first time since he left France that he would be on his broom and he missed it. There were two things he loved spending his time on and that was potions with Dad and flying.

Draco smiled as they both had their Nimbus 2000's out, few others even with their own broom. "I'm just glad they changed that stupid rule about brooms finally."

Harry nodded. "No wonder first years never made the team, other then reserves from time to time. Who could make the team on some of these brooms?"

They were talking when Harry noticed that Ron, the little prat who had been trying to avoid him like the plague. Ron seemed to have grown to be an even bigger prat then he had been when they were six years old, Charlie having not exaggerated in the letters it seemed. He was relieved Ron at least had not been one of those who had tried to follow him around and become buddies with him.

He was watching as the muggle born he knew was named Hermione and Neville Longbottom looked like they were going to be sick to their stomachs. Hermione had already proven if Harry had any competition for top student it would be here, but he heard her whispering something about being scared of heights.

Ron nudged his friend in the ribs and whispered something before he grabbed what looked like an orb from Neville. "Little piggy boy need it to remember to tie shoes."

Neville made a grab for the rememberall. "Give it back here Ron or I am going to tell Professor McGonagall on you."

That definitely was not the right thing to say and Ron even though they had been told to stay on the ground until their class had started picked up one of the brooms ad took off into the air taunting Neville with the rememberall threatening to drop it in the lake or some where it would break. He flew just above where Neville was and Neville kept trying to reach for it but he was so big he could barely jump and he had tears streaming down his cheeks.

Harry took out his wand and used a summoning charm to bring the rememberall to him but Ron was not taking too kindly to that and he shot after Harry coming towards him but the comet he was on was way too old and it began bucking out of control and it veered off towards the lake. It looked like Ron would be dumped in.

Draco was surprised when Harry jumped on his broom. "You don't need to help the little prat, you know a good dunking would not do him any bad."

Harry handed the orb to Draco and shot off. "Imagine his face when he has to owe his neck to me."

Ron definitely was lucky for just as he was about to be deposited in the lake for he lost his hold o the broom Harry had flown under him and was able to snatch him out of the air, and though the weight was a lot, he was able to make it back to the shore before he had to deposit Ro down on the ground. Ron was about to say something in anger when Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall appeared.

Minerva cut Ron off. "We saw what happened and heard what you did to Mr. Longbottom. 30 points from Gryffindor and detention tonight."

Madam Hooch looked at Harry. "20 points to Slytherin and I will be talking to Slytherin's captain, I know they have an opening for chaser this year."

Though Harry played a better seeker he could play both positions and he grinned ear from ear that he would have a recommendation from the flying teacher to be on the team. He knew the team was having try outs that weekend but Slytherin was not known for even allowing first years to be reserves, usually second year's only made reserves unless they were of amazing skill. But Harry hoped that he would be making the quidditch team.

Ron was grumbling under his breath when class was over. "The Golden Boy is the bloody Prince of Slytherin, a little show off. Need to smack some sense into him."

Hermione walked past him. "You're just sore because he saved your ass and made you look even more like a fool then before."

Harry headed for the school and he was in a great mood. He was surprised when they were sitting down at dinner time when the captain of the quidditch team, Marcus, sat down next to him instead of further own the table with the other kids his age. It seemed Madam Hooch had already spoken to him as well as having heard from the students who had seen it, some of the older kids on the ground.

He clapped Harry on the back. "You need to come out tomorrow and fly for the team but you are the new chaser for the team if you want the spot."


	4. first game

Harry had been up bright and early the weekend before Halloween practicing for the first quidditch game of the season which was the following weekend. Harry had quite a bit of pressure on him for he was the youngest player in the history of the school. He was just relieved that he was a chaser and not seeker or keeper, someone who would have had far more attention and importance on him; there were two other chasers on the field with him. He loved playing seeker and it had always been his top position but he was not certain he could have handled the scrutiny right now. He had been in the UK for nearly two months now and he had never really grown that accustomed to the fact that he had been such a celebrity here. There were times he wished he and his dad would go home to France, the constant attention and gossip just heightening his home sickness not to mention the fact he still had never felt that comfortable around the headmaster.

After practice though he had a reminder of one of the reasons other then Draco that he was happy to be back in the UK. He saw a group of three red heads sitting in the stands and he knew they were waiting for him. Though the twins and Charlie had joked that they would have to think about if they could forgive him for becoming a Slytherin and not a Gryffindor but they had decided they could forgive him for it for he was in their words still pretty cool. Harry could still remember the months he had lived here when he was a little boy and had gone to quidditch practice with Charlie and he was the one who had taught him how to fly.

As he got to them in the stands he was reminded the twins were the beaters for the Gryffindor team and he would be facing them the next weekend. He wondered if they were luring him up there to try and take him out of the game but laughed that off. He knew their team was good besides the twins would not have played dirty with him.

Charlie dragged him into a hug when he got close enough. "What is this, been back at Hogwarts for two months and barely even looked my way? I might be hurt."

Harry laughed and fought the head lock. "I don't know the last time I hung out with you I had the Dragon Pox, thought I might end up sick for the game."

Though the twins made some jokes which reminded him of his thoughts when he had come up there that they might be luring him into a trap, they assured him they were kidding. They would keep their competition to the pitch though as beaters thy could not promise they would not be hitting bludgers at him. Besides Charlie pointed out he could fight his own battles, Harry may have grow up a lot but he was still his little brother.

Talking of little brothers the one red head they had been dreading seeing was heading their way. Ron had never liked him, eve when they were little kids, but the fact that Harry had been showing him up in every class as well had definitely not been helping the situation at all.

Ron sneered at his brothers. "You are hanging out with snake scum like him? I thought you had grown some standards since the little rat ran away to France."

Charlie looked at his brother. "I would watch my tongue or I will turn my teacher back and let the twins go to work."

Sneering at his older brother Ron didn't take him too seriously. "You're too much of a goody two shooes like Percy, worried your boss would write home to mom."

Fred lobbed a piece of parchment at his brother and reminded Ron that he was the one who had a howler from their mother twice already, though the twins had a few in their time. The difference between the twins and Ron was they had the brains to do a prank and get away with it. Ron usually had his prank back fire on him and not only became the victim of his own prank but he got in trouble in the long run.

Harry laughed when the twins levitated Ron's wand from his back pocket and played keep away with it, and far from just turning his back, Charlie joined in with the twins and Harry. Ron eventually retrieved his wand and stormed away but he was swearing revenge under his breath the entire way.

George clapped Harry on the back. "Don't listen to the prat; he is just jealous you made the team."

Fred agreed with the twin. "Oliver practically laughed in his face and offered him the place of towel boy after he tried out for the opening seeker position."

First years sometimes made reserve for the tem, Charlie a reserve in his first year, but Harry had been the first starter in a hundred years. Oliver had allowed Ron to try out but he had actually fallen off of his broom twice. He and Percy seemed the only Weasleys with no talent for quidditch, having a pitch in their gardens, though Bill had only ever wanted to play for fun and had never tried out.

Fred showed him some candies in his pocket. "One of the new pranks we have been working on. Thought we might slip them into his food at the Halloween party."

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Ron was lucky he was able to cheer or boo at the game for the toffee had made it impossible for him to talk for two days. None of his teachers had been too anxious to help him out of it but Professor McGonagall had finally taken pity on the prat two days after Halloween in his first transfiguration class since Halloween. The twins had not got in trouble even though it had been evident who had done it and Charlie and even Filius had found a way to reward the twins some points along the way.

Harry's mind though was on the game for the Gryffindor team was definitely good competition for them but Harry and his fellow chasers were out playing the other team. They were about an hour into the game though Harry found that his broom suddenly began jerking wildly and Harry just avoided the bludger sent at him and if it had not been for his grip on the broom he would have took a nose dive. The broom was swerving and bucking worst than one of the school brooms, and not only some of his own team mates but some of the lions had come to see if they could help.

Harry was fighting with his broom desperate to stay on it and avoid bludgers, which despite the actions of both his own beaters and the twins there was still bludgers coming towards him. He was forced to dive out of the way with a bludger and when he was attempting to get out of the way of a bludger and some how he spotted the snitch and knowing though not seeker for the team, in school rules it was not against the rules and he snatched it before finally forcing himself to land.

Madam Hooch had blown the whistle but the score was not announced for Mark who landed explained. "They were not sure if it was legal for a chaser to catch it."

The rest of the team was impressed by the catch but worried about his wild broom when Lee finally announced. "The catch counts, Slytherin wins 270-90."

Though the rest of the team was excitedly leading Harry off to change and talking about his incredible catch Harry's mind was on his broom and what had caused it to go wild as it had. He knew though Ron had sworn to get back at him, Ron did not have the magic to tamper with a broom like that. Draco came to join him after he came from the change rooms and the team were talking a game but his dads pulled him aside before he left.

Severus hugged his son. "We will look into it Harry, I promise. But we need you to be careful." They had their suspicions about two people but didn't want to worry him


	5. Christmas surprises

Severus had known bringing his son back to school would be risky but he had never imagined just how risky it would turn out to be. He knew Albus was a concern but he had his suspicions about who had been the one involved with the broom. He was surprised for there were few wizards who could do wandless magic like that and he had never heard that the man could do it, but charms and DADA teachers often did have the skills. He could remember Quirell from their school days and the man had never had a stutter back then and he was so jumpy as of late, seeming to have become scared of his own shadow. There were rumours that the man had a close call with vampires that past summer but Severus knew it was something else, he was not sure what but he was going to find out.

He was glad when Christmas was coming for he and Remus were taking Harry to spend Christmas in France; the Malfoys were coming with them. They had originally planned to spend it in the UK with Charlie and the twins invited to come see them but they had decided Harry needed some time away from it all. The semester had been a great adjustment for Harry and being back in France with his friends there, would help. They would be back for New Year's and Harry could see Charlie and the twins then, finding out the Weasleys were out of the country and Charlie and his siblings who were still in school, would be staying at school.

They had not told their son their concern about Quirell for they had known that he would have enough to worry about. Harry had blocked out a lot of the bad memories he had from the days when he had been molested, even the flashes. But he had always been cautious about Albus which of course made his dads happy. They were still concerned they had made the wrong choice and should have sent him to Beauxbautons but when they looked at him with Draco, they knew they should try.

They had Christmas Eve at the Delacaur estate where Harry had been happily reunited with Anton and Gabrielle. Christmas morning though it was just the Snapes and Malfoys at the manor together. Harry had spent many Christmases here as this was home when he thought the word, unlike his Dad who Spinner's End always would be..

Remus handed his son a package "These are two things which belonged to your father, well one to the marauders, and I knew it was time for you to have them."

Severus had agreed for he knew they would help his son with Albus but it was also just time."I remind you and Draco you are not to use them against teachers."

Harry had grown up on stories of his mum who had been friends with both of his dads, as well as his father. He had been told about the marauders, but it had only been last year that Remus had admitted that Sirius who he had been told had died, was actually in prison for killing the fourth member and some muggles. Harry knew when he saw the piece of parchment and the cloak what they were right away. The cloak had of course been passed down from father to son in the Potter family, an invisibility cloak, and the map had been created by the marauders and showed the school, the passages, and everyone in it. He knew his Papa had been the one with the magic which had been able to make the map work, the best of the marauders in charms.

Remus smiled as he watched his son put on the cloak and he and Draco examine the map. The cloak had been borrowed from James by the headmaster before the Potters died but Remus had managed to get his hands on it. Not even the marauders knew that Remus had managed to steal back the map from Filch. Remus had stickier fingers then anyone of his friends or his husband ever guessed.

Harry smiled at Draco."The twins are going to be so jealous, you know there are at least three passages on here they don't know. They are going to be so green."

Severus faked a groan as he heard them talking."If I had known you would show it to those two pranksters I would have forbidden your Papa giving you that."

Nudging his husband in the ribs Remus assured his son they wanted him to have them. They had a policy with their son, they ignored what trouble he got in as long as he did not hurt anyone and he never targeted any teachers. He had been pretty good but he was starting to fall under the influence of the twins. Remus reminded his husband that Harry was the son of two marauders and it was in his blood of course.

Severus shook his head."Well then I should just be happy there is some of me in him as well, or Merlin knows what kind of trouble our son would be getting into."

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They returned to the school in time for the New Years and sure enough the twins went green when they showed them the passages, though they hid the cloak for now. The twins were so happy to have them back for the only students at school had been their two brothers and they had been in need of company, Charlie the closest. They set out to get Ron back for some of the lovely little stunts he had been involved in during the previous semester.

The evening before the other students came back Harry was shocked when he had been stopped by the headmaster. He did not like being around the man and refused when Albus asked him to come for tea, not inviting Fred. Albus seemed to give in to that and offered to show both boys something and Harry agreed because of Fred.

They stood staring at an odd mirror in the classroom."You wanted to show us a mirror headmaster?"

Albus nodded."I was about to move the mirror before the students return but I thought you would like to see it. This is the mirror of Erised."

They were amazed when he told them what it did but they still had no idea why he had brought them down there. Fred saw himself the owner of one of the best prank companies in the world but when Harry stood in front of the mirror he was silent and he refused to tell either Fred or Albus of what he had seen in the mirror. Albus tried to push it but Fred drew Harry away and got him home, worried about his friend. It was his dads later who had managed to get him to tell them.

Remus was a bit white in the face."I am not sure Harry why it would show you that. Maybe your head has been so on the gifts. I would not have you worry cub."


	6. odd images

The concern for their son had grown ten fold since he had told them about being shown the mirror for unlike Harry they knew the importance of the mirror. The students had been told they could not go up to a certain hallway and the mirror had been moved within. Actually it seemed to have been moved out, for Severus was under the impression it had been in a secret chamber since the summer time. He had been surprised when he had been asked to contribute a spell to help protect the mirror but knowing the importance of it he had been more than happy to provide it. But the fact that Albus had moved the mirror and shown it to the boys bothered him and he wondered what Albus was playing at. He knew how dangerous the item was within it and he knew that both Harry and Fred would be curious about the window and would have wanted to see it again, which seemed like the last thing anyone would want to happen.

His husband was badly shaken from what his son had seen in the mirror though he would not tell Harry why. Harry had seen himself with his family, past and present, including his mum and James, but also Severus and Remus. But there had been others and Harry had clearly had seen Sirius among them. Harry had no idea Sirius was the one who had sent Voldemort after his parents, the reason he had been on the run when he had killed Peter and the muggles.

Remus was looking down at a photo that his husband had not seen in many years, a photo of all four of the marauders, that Sirius had not been removed from. Most of the photos from the group had been charmed so Sirius had bee removed. It was far too painful for Remus to even think of the man who had betrayed them all so bad.

Severus kissed his husband and pulled him in close. "It was just Harry's desire; it was not a prophecy or something Moony. You can't let this eat away at you."

Remus turned into his arms. "I just don't get why he would have Sirius in his heart. Harry was in the room when they were killed. They died because of Sirius."

They all remembered clearly the night they had learned the couple had been killed, James dying to give his wife a chance to get their son to safety. They had their precious son because of the sacrifice both of his birth parents had made for him. Sirius had been James' best friend, best man at his wedding and Harry's godfather but he had turned around and had sold them to the Dark Lord and if that had not been bad enough he had killed Peter ad a street full of innocent people. Peter's mother had received nothing more then some of his fingers back and the Order of Merlin he had been awarded.

Remus had once loved Sirius as a brother and the fact he had caused the death of James and Lily was a betrayal he would never get past. Severus tended to think Sirius was lucky to have been sent to Azkaban. He doubted his husband even in human form could have been contained if he had seen Sirius again.

Remus sighed. "I know I am being foolish but there is something about that mirror I don't like and the fact that Albus showed him. If Harry learns the truth about..."

They had not realized that they were not lone in the room. "About what Papa?"

They both turned around to see Harry who they had thought was off with Draco and the twins for there was one last duty before the other kids returned, in the doorway. He was staying with them till the term had started again but he had left an hour before and he was not to have been back until after lunch some time. He had told his Papa that he would work on a potion with him that afternoon as they had not done one since they had returned from France.

Harry had forgotten something he wanted to show the twins and had returned to get it and had over heard a bit of the conversation. He was bothered by the mirror but he had thought his dads were being honest when they had told him it was nothing to be worried about.

Harry shook them off when they once again tried to tell him not to be worried. "What truth about Sirius Papa? Why are you so bothered by him?"

Remus motioned for his son to sit after a silent conversation with his husband. "I was hoping you would never have to know."

They had told Harry a lot including the fact that Harry was the heir to the Black fortune and with his godfather in prison it was his. And he ever knew that Sirius had bee a big part of his lie. They had thought that he was too young to have any real memories before his parents died but they realized from the mirror he must have subconscious memories and some where in them he remembered his godfather who had spent countless amounts of time with him. Some where deep down he may have remembered the man who had given him his first broom and who he had once loved to ride on when he was in his dog form. There had been a time when Sirius had been a member of his family, and if he was dreaming of a time when he had his blood parents and his dads, perhaps it was not odd Sirius appeared.

Harry was not giving in and Severus and Remus reluctantly told their son the truth of the night he had been attacked. Harry had known Sirius was a Death Eater but he had never realized the full reason he had been on the run. If he had been shaken about seeing Sirius in the mirror before, it had grown ten fold with this news.

Harry was trying his best to keep it together but he was badly shaking. "Why would I see him? I was surprised because of Peter, but if he killed my mum and....."

Severus held him. "He was around you a lot when you were a baby and he was not there the night you were attacked. You only had good memories of the man."

Thinking of the marauders map and all of the stories of the marauders which Sirius was left out of but he knew had been there, Harry could not understand. He couldn't understand how a man, who had considered his Papa and his father to be brothers, had sent a mass murdering mad man after him and his parents. He kept seeing the image of the mirror in his head and tried to shake way the thought, not wanting to see the man. As he held to his dads shaking and fighting the tears he wished the image would go way, he wished he had never been taken to see the mirror. The man was not his family and he never would be.

Remus kissed his son on the head. "The mirror is gone and you will never have to see the image. As for that man he is in prison, and will rot there, I promise."


	7. forbidden forest

The second term of the school year picked up after Slytherin played their second game of quidditch, defeating Ravenclaw though this time the seeker and not Harry caught the snitch. There was an opening for seeker next year for Mike was graduating but Harry would likely stick with being a chaser, for he knew Draco wanted to try out and his best friend could only play the one position, besides he was happy as a chaser. He actually looked forward to next year when both he and Draco would be on the team together. He knew Uncle Luc had once been a quidditch player though his Dad and Papa had both preferred the ground, it was his father that he had inherited his flying skills from though James Potter had been a seeker and for Gryffindor. He wondered what James would think if he knew his son was a Slytherin.

By Easter time though Harry and Draco were starting to think they needed to find some way to shut Ron up for good. Harry was regretting the fact that he had saved Ron from a dumping in the lake other then the fact it had won him a place on the quidditch team. He seemed to think that Ron having to swim with the squid might be a good punishment though his Dad had told them the squid had been known to save students in the past who had fallen out of the boats. Harry laughed at the thought of the poor soul who on their first day of school they were embarrassed to show up for sorting soaking wet.

Harry, Draco and Blaise had been out on the grounds when they heard some voices coming from Hagrid's hut and headed towards it. They were amazed when they looked in through the door and noticed what Hagrid had been showing Hermione and Ron.

Blaise could not contain his shock. "A dragon? You know dragons are illegal in this country, and extremely dangerous."

Ron sneered at him. "You're just jealous because you didn't know about it. You should have been here when the dragon hatched."

Harry could not deny it was pretty cool and Hagrid had told them it was a Norwegian Ridgeback and it had hatched a few days ago. The dragon had been a prize that he had won during a poker game and he had always wanted to have a pet one.

Draco moved towards the dragon. "It is pretty cool but you know Hagrid you will get in big trouble if you get caught with this thing on campus."

A voice which they had not been expecting had come from the door. "As will any students who are caught with him and the dragon."

They turned around to see Professor McGonagall in the doorway and she looked furious with them. Though Hagrid tried to get them out of trouble, all five students were given detention for the night though oddly enough they were to be given it with Hagrid. Blaise tried protesting that they had just come down there but the woman was not having any of it ad they were reminded that the woman had always had a bias towards the Slytherins.

Harry's dads were not happy when they heard about detention but they believed their son when he told them their side of the story. Unfortunately his dads were not able to get him out of a detention that had been given to him by another teacher even if he and his friends had not deserved the punishment.

Severus kissed his son on the head. "I have heard Hagrid needs to check on some unicorns tonight, why you are serving with him. You'll be in the woods."

Remus nodded. "You have to be careful in those woods please, I know you will be with Hagrid but there are still dangers to be had out there."

Promising his dads he would be as careful as he could Harry was surprised that they would be having detention with the teacher who was involved and even more surprised that they would be having detention in the Forbidden forest which was by its name, forbidden for any student to enter it. His dads explained they could enter for classes when they were accompanied by a teacher or in this case by a member of the staff.

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Harry and Draco had been paired with Ron while the others went with Hagrid into the woods. Harry didn't think it was quite fair, for their protection was Fang and the dog was scared of almost everything. The only thing worse then Fag was having Ron as a tag along as well. They were told they needed to find an injured unicorn and when they found it they were to send up the signal they had been shown. Charlie had brought them out and showed them the signal but he had been unable to stay.

Harry glared at Ron as Draco did for they had definitely not deserved this detention and it was just like the prat to get them in trouble as well. They had come into a clearing and they saw a unicorn but a strange hooded figure was looming over the unicorn. Harry felt burning in his head and Ron was freaking out as it moved towards them, actually going as far as peeing his pants. Harry had no idea what it was or what to do but he sent a stunner at the creature.

Harry could see it was only slowing it down and grabbed one of Ron's arms and looked at Draco. "We need to get out of here."

Draco was a bit shaken though in better shape then Ron and did as told. "How?"

Harry sent up the signal and sent another stunner towards the figure which was starting to recover and followed in the direction Fang had run, throwing stunners back over his shoulder and practically dragging Ron and coaxing Draco along. Suddenly they realized the thing was not following them and Harry was scared why until centaurs suddenly appeared all around them with bows drawn.

Harry barely remembered what Papa told him. "Blessings of the moon and stars be on you. We seek sanctuary under the code of the protection of younglings."

One stepped forward. "You know our culture, does not surprise me of a son of Remus Lupin. You are safe child. We will take you back to Hagrid who searches."

Harry was helped onto the back of Firenze, the leader of the group, while Bane and Ronan took Draco and Ron. Firenze had known the kids were in the woods and of the dangers that there were in them that night. He had been quite impressed by the skill the young wizard had shown, and the courage in protecting his friends as well. Hagrid and the other two were waiting at the edge of the woods when they got there.

Firenze explained to Hagrid and then looked at Harry. "Be careful young Harry, danger lurks near. But if you need our aid all you have to do is call upon it."


	8. philosopher's stone

Harry had been out on the grounds with Draco, Blaise and the twins out on the grounds as the boys had finished their last exam for the year. They were talking summer plans, Harry to spend a chunk of the summer back home in France but he would be here for July and would spend time at the Burrow and Malfoy manor. The Delacaurs had invited him to the World Cup game which was being played in Egypt that summer and they had got tickets for, which he was so excited about. He had never got to go to the World Cup yet but Jerome Delacaur had got the tickets from a business associate and Anton had insisted he get to bring his best friend. Since Harry was friends with both of their two youngest kids and was considered practically family by the rest, there had been no question.

As they were out on the grounds though Harry noticed that Professor Quirell was out there as well and the man was acting very odd. He had never liked the man much and he hoped that he would fall pray to the curse. It was said that he was the first DADA teacher in fifty years not to quit after his first year teaching. There was not a student there who did not wish they would have a new DADA teacher soon.

They heard him muttering something about a dog and heads and they were about to follow him when they were cut off in their path by Hagrid who wanted to talk, and lost site of him. They headed for dinner but Harry's mind was on the man after dinner as well. But that was soon to change.

He was found by the headmaster after he and Draco had left the twins at Gryffindor. "Mr Snape I need you to come with me. I need your help with something."

Harry sent a worried look at Draco. "Draco can you stop by my dads' apartment and tell them I am with the headmaster. I would not want them to worry."

Knowing that Harry wanted him to summon some back up Draco reluctantly left Harry and headed for the dungeons to get Harry's dads for him. Harry had no idea what was going on but when he realized they were not headed for the headmaster's office but for the hall that was off limits from the students. He had no idea why they were going up there but he was reminded all too clearly of the fear he had of this man when he was little and the fact that he had been warned to stay away from him. He prayed that his dads would learn soon and they might be able to find him.

They came into a room and Harry stared in shock at a monstrous three headed dog who was lying in the room. They both noticed the sound of a harp playing by a spell and Harry realized that it must have put the dog to sleep.

Harry looked at the headmaster as he was pulling him towards a trapdoor. "What are we doing sir? Where are we going?"

Albus quieted him and pushed him through the trapdoor. "He has already come through but I can bypass the different tests. Hopefully we're not too late."

Finding himself falling and landing in some odd plants Harry had no idea what was going on as the headmaster helped him through what turned out to be devil's snare. The headmaster was not speaking at all to him and Harry was growing scared especially as they moved past what looked to be a quidditch pitch with flying keys. It seemed the headmaster knew a way to bypass what ever these traps were set up for.

Albus had known the day was coming and he had to find a way to stop the man. Severus had been warning him Quirell was out for no good but the man always seemed to think everyone was. But he was convinced that the man was right d he needed to make sure they stopped him. He knew Harry had the pure of heart to help him.

They got to the entrance of a chamber and he whispered to Harry. "Do what he tells you, I am sure the stone will come out for you, and then he will have to touch you."

Harry stared t the headmaster. "What the hell are you doing headmaster? I don't get this."

He found himself shoved into a large room where Quirell was looking at what he realized was the mirror that he had been shown at Christmas time. Quirell must have heard him stumbling and turned around to face him and before Harry knew what was happening he was propelled towards the man by some kind of spell. It seemed the stuttering fool that he had become since last summer had turned out to be some kind of cover.

Harry cringed in fear as the man took off his turban and he realized Voldemort's face was on the back of the head. The face spoke. "Make the boy look, look now."

Quirell positioned Harry in front of the mirror. "Look boy and tell me what you see."

Harry had bee expecting the image he had seen last time but as he stood there he saw his reflection holding some kind of stone ad he knew it was what ever the man was looking for. His reflection pocketed the stone and he realized with shock that the stone was now in his actual pocket. He had no idea what the stone was and now he had a possessed teacher after the stone and had no idea if the headmaster was even still there with him some where.

Voldemort's face screamed. "Get the boy he had the stone, get him now."

Harry tried to make a run for the place where the headmaster was but he was thrown to the ground. "No."

Suddenly Quirell was on top of him but the moment the man tried to touch him the skin of the man was on fire and Harry watched as he fell away and was burning. Harry was coughing from the smoke and the fear was great but he was hit with what felt like a back lash of black magic which he realized was the escaping spirit of the Dark Lord, knowing that what ever it was, was still alive in some form.

He was losing consciousness as he saw the faces of the headmaster and suddenly his anxious dads over him. "What happened?" he asked before he passed out.


	9. removing Harry

Severus and Remus watched their son anxiously as Madam Pomfrey was checking him over after they had brought him up from the chamber. The headmaster was there and as much as Severus wanted to rip the man limb from limb he was reminded by his husband that Harry was their concern right now. Draco had come to find them and with the help of the ghosts who still adored Harry, they had found out where the headmaster had taken him though sadly they were not surprised by it. The details of what happened they had only heard for Poppy had demanded to know what was wrong with the boy.

Lucius came storming into the room moments later, Filius having summoned him after he had spoken to Draco and found out what was going on. Filius continued to look out for the boy as he had back when Harry was little. Harry had always had a bond with him, taking to him quicker then any adult because of his size and Filius had always had a great affection for the boy, first as a child and now as one of his favourite students as his mum had once been as well.

Poppy was relieved to tell them that Harry was just a bit shaken and tired, and other then feeding him a sleeping draught for she thought he could use the rest, there were no concerns. Well there were no concerns about his health but there were concerns about how he had ended up there that was for certain.

Severus leaned down to scoop his son up. "Lucius I assume you and Narcissa would not mid some house guests before we head back to France."

Lucius shook his head. "I have already sent an elf to pack for both our sons since they are done their finals and quidditch. Cissy will be waiting for us."

The Malfoys had no doubt when they had found out what had happened or at least what Filius could have told them, that Severus and Remus would be removing their son from the school though the question still would be would it be permanently. They had sworn that they would remove him as soon as Albus proved he was a danger to their son but Harry now had friends here and a place here that they knew he would be reluctant to leave even if Anton was at Beauxbautons.

Albus should have realized this was coming when he had taken their son down there but he still seemed surprised by it. They had told him more then once if he gave them reason to believe that he would put their son at risk they would remove him from the school.

Albus tried to stop them. "Harry is needed in this school and he saved many lives protecting that stone."

Remus sneered at the man. "If you had simply destroyed the stone instead of leaving it in the school in the first place, there would have been no concerns."

Though Albus did not use the stone to the extent that his friend Nicholas did, they knew he had considered it. Here was no doubt that he had not destroyed the stone because he knew there was little chance he could remake it. Nicholas had been the one who had actually come up with the formula, Albus had only taken part of the credit from it and Nicholas had refused to ever make another stone gain. Albus had taken the stone from Nicholas though in an attempt to convince the man he needed to make another one but Nicholas had enough of the elixir to put his affairs in order ad was prepared to die now.

Albus protested. "We all knew Voldemort was coming back and if it was not the stone he would have found some other way. At least he has been destroyed."

Lucius spoke up. "The soul of Voldemort that was in him was not destroyed. Don't think for one moment I will not look into you keeping Quirell on staff."

It seemed all too clear that Albus was aware that the man had been possessed since he had come back for the summer. Instead of contacting the aurors or doing something he had permitted the man to continue teaching at the school and had actually brought the Philosopher's stone here. He had put a hell of a lot of trust in Harry being able to defeat the man or hat the belief that Lily's love would have destroyed the man as it had. Too easily he could have been wrong and the some could have been used to restore the Dark Lord and Albus would likely have found some way to blame it on Harry or someone else.

Sharing a look with his husband Severus knew they were thinking the same thing. Even if Harry insisted on returning back to school here in the fall, he needed to be taken from the school now and though they would remain at the manor for a bit, they would take him to France sooner then they had intended for that summer.

Albus tried one last time at the gates. "You are using those unfounded accusations that I molested him when he was a child, to take Harry away from the school."

Remus turned on him. "Funny thing is we never actually used the words molesting, you did. If you think we will let you hurt him, you are definitely wrong."

Draco had bee fetched by his dad and the five of them headed for Malfoy manor where Narcissa was definitely waiting for them. She was shaken badly to hear what had happened to Harry and she was grateful hr husband and his dads had bee able to remove him from the school.

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It was nearly lunch before Harry woke up the next day and his dads spent some time telling him what had happened. They knew it was a lot to handle but they had always tried to be honest with him when it was needed. Though Harry was extremely shaken and later that night they were not surprised when he suffered nightmares, they were relieved to see how well he was able to keep it together.

Severus kissed his son on the head. "We are going home to France in two days and we will be looking into perhaps transferring you to Beauxbautons."

Harry was a bit pale but not surprised. "What about you and work? And my friends here?"

His dads explained they would make the decision as a family as they had about Hogwarts. They would not force their son to leave the school for they knew he had good friends there, and quidditch. But they were seriously considering it and Severus had been told he could go back to work for the hospital in Marseilles if he chose. They knew the decision would be even harder for Harry then it had been when they had decided to bring him to Hogwarts.

Remus ruffled his son's curls. "We do not need to decide now; we will take the summer Harry. Remember even if we do go back to France, you'll see Draco."


	10. eat slugs

Though they had been extremely reluctant, after a summer in France Severus and Remus saw their son off on the train to Hogwarts before they apparated. Harry had missed taking the train last year for they had been delayed by a meeting ad they wanted their son to have as normal of a school year as possible. Though Madam Maxime had made it quite clear Harry was welcome at the school at any time, in the end Harry and his dads had decided to return to the UK. Though Harry was still very shaken by what had happened he had convinced his dads he was able to return to the school. He was good friends with Anton but he and Draco were far closer and he had so many new friends at Hogwarts not to mention quidditch, and he had not wanted to leave it behind. His dads were just going to have be more cautious as he would but Poppy and Filius had assured them that they would help out as well.

They had been surprised to learn that the new DADA teacher chosen was some local celebrity by the name of Gilderoy Lockhart. Remus could not deny he would have wanted the job but Albus was not about to offer it to him. They both knew the stories about Lockhart, that he had stolen the information from other people and was a fraud. And the one time either had met the man they were convinced that it was right. Well they had met him twice, they had a run in with him when they took the boys for their school supplies two days ago and he had been doing a book signing on Diagon Alley.

Harry's friends were happy to see him back for it had of course not gone unnoticed he had been like Draco, missing the last few days of school. The chamber was to have been kept a secret but the word had spread. His friends had been worried he would not return to school after what happened but were glad that he was back now.

At the feast their quidditch captain was relieved at the feast to see him. "We were worried we might be down a chaser, we want to make it two years in a row."

Harry shook his head. "Oh I am back but you know I decided I really need to crack down on my studies more then usual. I won't have time for the team this year."

He had said it in such a deadly serious tone that it seemed the captain and some of the old players on the team took him seriously, at least for a moment that is. Draco though nudged Harry in the ribs and Harry broke into a wide grin assuring his captain he was not about to give up his place on the team for anything. He was looking forward to the Gryffindor game. He may have become really close with the Weasley twins but he loved to play them and whip their asses on the field he admitted.

Of course there was one opening on the team that year and it was for a seeker. The seeker and keeper were the two toughest positions to fill and though second years had been known to make starting beaters and chasers, seekers and keepers had in the past been third and up, well in Slytherin. Other house second years often made the team in any position, Harry having just set a record because he was the only first year in a hundred years to make the starting team for any house team.

Harry clapped Draco on the back. "He might not be as good as me but he can out fly most especially on the 2001's that Uncle Luc gave us for our birthdays."

Marcus shrugged. "Come try out on the weekend. I have seen you fly before and you have skill. And a seeker on a top broom could definitely come in handy."

Harry had protested, not even his dads, when he had received a Nimbus 2001 from his Uncle for his birthday. Lucius had told his nephew and son though that as long as they continued competing for top marks in school, he would upgrade their brooms for them. Besides he had a contact with the national team and got the brooms for close to nothing, having actually exchanged in their old brooms. Harry had beaten out Hermione for top student and Draco had come in a very close third. It was Harry's potions marks and DADA which always put him above and beyond though he also excelled in charms. Draco complained it was not fair because of his Uncles.

As they were heading out Ron sneered as he crossed their paths. "So the little scar head decided to return has he? I would have thought you'd be too scared."

Fred had come up behind his little brother. "Pay no attention to him, he is just passed for he has to have extra tutoring with all his teachers this year."

It turned out Ron had done one of the worst of any students, and both his parents and the headmaster had agreed he needed extra help. When the grades of the twins looked good in comparison to yours, you knew you were doing bad ad Ron found himself hearing about it all summer. It seemed the new DADA teacher was going to be his new main tutor which made Harry laugh considering what he had seen at the book store ad what his dads had told him about the man.

Harry noticed before they left a red headed first year and he realized, having seen her sorted as well, it was Ginny. He had forgotten that she would be starting this year, having met her when he was little and had been forced to stay at the Burrow for three days when his dads had sorted out the paper work. He noticed her eying him.

George snorted as he noticed as well. "Don't mind the kid sister, she seems to have a bit of a crush on you. A bit annoying and all."

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Ron was ticked off on Saturday when he finally got to leave his two hours of tutoring with Professor Lockhart. They had only has one day of classes so he had no idea why he was being forced to start this ridiculous tutoring. He had not done all that bad, it was the little show off which had made him look so bad. The fact he had to be up for the early breakfast and spend most of the morning in tutoring both today and tomorrow, didn't please him at all. He wasn't even sure what Professor Lockhart was supposed to be helping him with. All the man had done was show him this odd journal and have him write in it. It was a bit cool as it responded back but it seemed more like something for history of magic but of course the boring old ghost would never come up with something like that.

He had two hours off for lunch and then he was to report for an hour with Binns before he was done for the day. Tomorrow was potions with the grease ball and then transfiguration in the afternoon. The only classes he did not have to do tutoring in were herbology and astronomy for he had managed to pull off a half decent mark. He could not even believe that Neville had scored higher the he had, something he was never going to live down, as Neville as basically a squib.

He watched as Slytherin was finishing their try outs and was shocked to hear. "And the new seeker for Slytherin is Draco Malfoy."

Ron sneered. "Of course the best friend of the golden boy made the team. Well at least they're snakes, I couldn't live with the shame."

He waited until Harry and Draco headed out from the showers after changing and followed them. He had been studying all day, he was in need of a good laugh. The twins were not the only pranksters in the family, though they constantly reminded him he should leave it up to professionals for he was always getting caught.

Draco sneered at him when he got in their path. "Out of the way weasel, we're headed for the school to tell our friends the news, I am the new seeker."

Ron sneered. "I noticed the two of you had new brooms again, I am surprised you didn't have to buy the whole team new brooms to get on the team Malfoy."

Harry jumped in. "You would have to offer to have the United sub in for the team to get on yours weasel. Some of us actually have something called skill."

Ron was sputtering at them and before they walked away he drew out his wand and tried to use a spell on them which would have them throwing up slugs but the little fool had been in such a rush to hit them before they walked away, he had the wand backwards and hit himself with the spell instead. Harry and Draco bowled over laughing as they watched him throwing up slugs.

Harry shook his head. "Probably might want to wait down here till it wears off. You know Filch will have you mopping floors if you do that in the Great Hall."


	11. Halloween mutterings

Harry had once considered DADA to be one of his favourite classes even with Quirell teaching it but that had soon disappeared. If anything was a bigger joke then the text books it was the professor himself. If Quirell had smelled like garlic, this man smelled like a perfume shop, and like the over powering flowery perfume Harry remembered Grandma Delacaur used to wear all of the time. After the firs class when the man had brought in Cornish pixies claiming they were a dangerous creature, after giving them a pop quiz about himself, and set them loose on the class, Harry had been certain they would be in for a horrid year. Harry actually found himself hoping that the curse of the DADA teachers which had only ever seen Quirell coming back for a second year, would strike again.

Harry and his friends were grateful for Remus for he was able to tutor them a bit for they wanted to actually have a chance if they got a real teacher the next year. Remus kept up hope perhaps one of these days he might be asked to teach it. He was reminded that the DADA teacher at Beauxbautons was retiring in two years but he had come here to be with his husband and son. Severus sometimes felt guilty he was denying his husband a chance at a real job but when Remus knew what his husband was thinking he reminded Severus they had both wanted to come here and be with their son.

The weekend of Halloween Harry and Draco were coming in from a rain drenched quidditch practice with their team. One would have thought with thunder the practice would have been cancelled but Markus was so intent on them winning again, he said as long as there was no lightening they were practicing. Their practice had ended an hour earlier then usual for lightening had come but they were all soaked through and were muttering about mutiny under their breath as they came.

They were stopped though as they were heading for the dungeons by Filch. "What do you think you are doing? Look at my floors. Trying to make more work?"

Harry pointed out the windows. "There has been a storm going all morning and we have been on the pitch sir, there is nothing we could do about it."

Grumbling Filch said something which sounded like they could have hid under tree until the storm ended but he began dragging Harry and Draco towards his room saying they would be mopping up their mess ad if he heard another complaint out of them about it, he would hang them from their ankles with chains from he roof.

Suddenly Ginny Weasley appeared around the corner. "Mr Filch sir you have to come quick sir. Peeves is up in one of the classrooms and is making a mess."

Filch glared at the other two. "Don't think you have gotten away with anything. Next time I catch you making such a mess, you will be in chains."

Watching as the man took off they thought the timing was too perfect and they had a feeling they had twin red heads to thank for getting hem out of trouble, since Ginny had been used to get Filch. It turns out they were right that it was a red head and the twins had bee involved, well George had been, but they were bowled over laughing when they realized the other one had been

Charlie put them in a headlock as he met them on the way down to the dungeons. "Even the staff sometimes wants to hex that man. Thought you could use help."

Harry laughed. "Sometimes I forget who was the original prankster in your family. The twins told me who they learned a lot from."

Shrugging Charlie could not deny it though of course he had since becoming a professor this year, done apprenticing last year and taking over for Kettleburn now, bee trying to follow the rules but every once in a while he turned blind eye or he even helped out. When it came to Filch even Professor McGonagall who was one of he most strict teachers the school had ever had, had been known to turn a blind eye.

George appeared moments later. "Glad to see that worked out. Oh by the way you two have been invited to a Death Day party for Sir Nick on Halloween."

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Though they had not wanted to miss the Halloween feast and Sir Nick was not eve their ghost, Harry and Draco as well as Blaise decided to attend the party for a little while before the feast. It was not every day that someone got invited to the Death day party of one of the school ghosts, they were one of he few humans on the guest list. It seems Sir Nick was quite friendly with the twins, helping them out a bit, and he had become impressed with the stories of the young Slytherins.

They were relieved when they got to the party that they would be heading for the feast for the food at the party was definitely intended for the dead and not living. They found themselves almost wishing that Lockhart was there for his perfume could have covered the smell of the food. But they enjoyed seeing the headless hunt.

They were heading out from the party though when they had run into Ron, or well saw him. Harry looked over at Fred. "What is your brother doing?"

Fred shrugged, having no idea what the fool would be doing down in the dungeons. "I would have thought he'd worry about your house or about your father."

Making a comment about he should be worried Severus would either make him clean cauldrons or the snakes would flush his head, they stopped when they actually heard what Ron was saying for he seemed to be muttering something under his breath the entire time. They knew he was always a bit mixed up but he seemed to have bee acting a bit off that year, and odd for Ron really meant bizarre. He seemed be the only student who actually liked the new DADA teacher and had been spending more and more time in his so called tutoring sessions but they had o idea what he was actually doing or learning in them.

Ron was looking every where. "There has to be some kind of way in around here some where. I mean it is below."

George grabbed his brother by the arm. "What the hell are you going on about? You looking for the entrance to the sewers or something?"

Shaking his brother off Ron stormed away and the others laughed. They headed for the Great Hall as the feast was about to start and they had o intention of missing one of the best meals that was served there at the school.. Besides for all they knew Ron could have lost his mind from all of the perfume he was around lately.


	12. Lockhart's behaviour

Harry was not certain but he felt like Professor Lockhart had it out for him, and he was starting to actually fear DADA classes. While usually when they acted out scenes from his books they were just acting, when he chose Harry he had been known to use live spells. He claimed it was because Harry was far more advanced then any of the others in the classroom and it was good practice for him but some of the spells he had set at Harry he knew Fred and George were taking. The only reason he found he could deflect them was because he had been doing DADA and charms with his dads for years and had even been helping the twins with their studies.

Though Harry's dads were not sure the man was actually after him, they were concerned especially after what happened with Quirell. There was no philosopher's stone this year and no possessed teacher but they had their concerns none the less about the man. They had thought he was a horrible teacher but no harm but they were starting to wonder if they were wrong. Albus had shaken off their concerns about Lockhart and said Harry handling the spells proved the man was right.

Unfortunately a week before Harry's first quidditch game of the season he was not so lucky for he was tired from a day of classes and he was hit with a spell which felt like a punch to the gut but worse and he hit the professor's desk behind him. Lockhart was going to send him back to his desk but Draco insisted on Poppy.

Harry found himself soon in the infirmary having his ribs bandaged for he had cracked two. "Please tell me I am not out of quidditch next weekend."

Poppy sighed and shook her head. "You take it as easy as possible this weekend and next week and you should be fine to play. I'll give you potions for the pain."

Harry was about to protest the potions when his Papa came in for he had been informed what had happened to his son. DADA had been the last class and Blaise had headed down to find Harry's dads knowing he would want them, when class had been dismissed. Remus knew his son too well ad was not surprised that his son would be refusing anything to help him with the pain. Harry seemed to have inherited a number of Severus' traits and being stubborn to the bone was one of them. Remus found it nearly impossible to get either his husband or his son to take medicine or go to the healer when they were sick.

Harry was not impressed when he was told he was being made to stay with his dads for the weekend. He loved them to bits but he knew they would be over protective of him when he was injured like this. But when Poppy told him it was either home or he weekend in the hospital, his choice was made for him.

Remus helped his son up. "Your Daddy is a medic and if you need anything he can take care of you and we won't need to rush you up to see Poppy."

Harry groaned. "Isn't there some way we could not tell Dad what happened please? You know he is worse then you are when it comes to worrying about me."

Laughing Remus could not deny he was right, for it seemed that being a dad for the past six years had brought out very different side of his husband. Not that Severus had not had a caring side for his loved ones including Lucius, and especially his godson, but Harry was the best thing to happen to him. He had realized that he was not Tobias and that he could be a good father. Remus also had his worry moments but after being friends with the marauders in school he was more then used to hospital visits for people he cared about, though he had plenty himself. Severus had been nearly as bad when they were students, and he and Lily were but Remus' side through transformations and he had seen Remus go through some bad ones before the wolf's bane potion.

They were headed for the dungeons when Harry spotted something odd along the wall near the girl's bathroom. He knew it was the bathroom which was haunted and always over flowing but he had no idea why. But he did notice a ball of gray fur lying on the floor and pointed his Papa in the direction.

Remus knelt down next to Mrs. Norris and felt to see if the cat was still alive. "The cat has been stunned and I would say likely by some student."

Filch had run up looking terrified as he saw his cat lying there on the floor. "What happened? What horrible kid attacked my cat?"

As Albus ad some of the teachers gathered Remus explained that it looked as if the cat had been stunned, but from a force used that could have knocked out a human, putting the cat into a slight coma, he had his suspicions it was a student who had not know how much force he or she needed to use. Filch was told to take the cat to Charlie who could take a look and see if there was something to be done or if they just had to wait for the cat to wake up again.

Severus was waiting for his husband and son when they got downstairs and Harry was not surprised as his Dad started ruing an exam on him even though he had just come from the infirmary. He soon found himself propped up in bed as he and his Papa told Severus what happened in class as well as the delay with the cat.

Severus pressed his son to take a potion. "No arguments prince, you're in pain. You will be rooming here till you're in quidditch form again."

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Gratefully he was ready for the game the following weekend for though they had a back up chaser they knew they needed him in the air. Draco had of course made seeker and he and Harry were so excited about their first game playing together. Draco was nervous as hell and worse then Harry had been for his first game. He reminded Harry that there were two other chasers on the field, the keeper and seeker were both one of a kind on the team. Harry could not deny that though he had pointed out his first game he had been first year and he had also caught the snitch. Draco told his brother he better not steal his glory, well unless the opposition was about to catch the snitch for of course winning came first. They both wanted to whip Gryffindor, and the twin to be more specific.

Though Draco had thrown up before the game he was in fine flying form when they hit the air and Harry's ribs were not bothering him either. He had scored almost half the points for his team, happier this year with being a chaser the last. He did not regret choosing to not try out for seeker and remaining a chaser for he loved to have his best friend on the team with him and Draco would never in a hundred years make the chaser position.

It was about an hour into the game when Draco went into a dive and caught the snitch and the whistle blew. "Slytherin wins 240-60."

But suddenly Fred cried out as the balls were supposed to have been caught. "Harry watch out."

Some how Fred's bat had gone wild and when he was trying to capture the bludger to lock it away it had instead struck the bludger. Harry thankfully was able to narrowly escape his second serious injury of the past eight days with a bit of help from their keeper Adrian who managed to pull him out of the way in time.

Severus had been close ad he checked Fred's bat. "The bat has been hit with some kind of jinx."

Albus looked around. "Well there are too many people around, I doubt anyone saw who. We will just have to have a rule about wands at the pitch now."

Severus was boiling over as he sent his son who was a bit shaken, off to the change rooms. It was the second time his son had been at risk in just over a week and the second time that the headmaster didn't seem to take it seriously at all. If not for Fred ad for Adrian, his son could have been hurt worse then his ribs had bee.

Severus eyed Lockhart who was idly chatting hags with Madam Sprout and turned to his husband. "I don't like that man, not at all."


	13. Ron's journal

Harry was worried his dads would force him to move home after he had nearly been injured twice in less then two weeks. Though his Dad was seriously considering it, his Papa gratefully was a calming and sensible side to his husband. He reminded Severus that Harry still needed to go to classes and locking him away in their rooms would not be helping anything. Besides he thought their son would likely go mad if he was forced to live with them. As much as he loved his dads and spent time with them most evenings, at least with his Dad in the private potions lab, Harry enjoyed living in the dungeons with his friends His dads just kept reminding him and his friends that they needed to remain on guard for both the attack on the pitch and the odd attack on Filch's cat as well seemed to be out of place.

The entire school had been set on alert though and it was little surprise to the school when the Christmas sign up list started going around even less students then usual had signed up. Harry was surprised when Ron and a few of his friends had signed up though, knowing from the twins that their parents would be home this year too. Harry and his dads were not going to France, but would be having Christmas Eve and lunch here, and then would head to Malfoy manor after for the rest of the holidays, and Harry was grateful Draco was staying with them until Christmas Eve and would head home to be with his parents.

Harry had taken keeping an eye out to make sure he was safe himself, a step further. He knew his dads had their suspicions about the professor and while he did as well, his eyes were also on Ron as well. He had been acting even odder then before and he seemed to have now brought Seamus and Dean into it as well. He had noticed Hermione had been spending more time with the girls she was friends with in Hufflepuff lately for she too seemed to think Ron was out there.

The day of Christmas Eve Harry and Draco were heading for the pitch to fly before Draco headed home after dinner. "Why don't you just stay the night anyways?"

Draco shrugged. "It isn't like last Christmas when we spent it in France, you know mum and dad like to have me home for the gifts."

Though the Malfoys could have come and been there in the morning they had opted not to. Lucius had never enjoyed spending time around Albus when he could help it and Remus and Severus would be expected at the Christmas lunch since they were at school. Harry was a bit disappointed they were staying in the UK that year but his dads reminded him teachers took turns chaperoning every year for the holidays. Besides the Delacaurs were actually coming at New Year's for a few days.

Harry shrugged. "I guess I can deal without you for a few hours, besides I might get more sleep without you snoring in the next bed."

Draco elbowed him in the ribs. "You know I barely snore at all, it is that baboon Theo who is practically a stem boat horn."

Laughing Harry could not deny that for they often had to close the curtains around his bed and cast a silencing spell so the rest of them were able to sleep. Draco did snore but quite softly and definitely was nothing like the fog horn was. Draco had bee in Harry's room since the school term ended, his big double bed he had in his dads' rooms had been divided into two single beds while Draco was there.

They were talking about when Anton arrived and the fact he would be coming to Hogwarts one night before he headed back to France for school, and how they could not wait to show him the school. They had both been on a tour of Beauxbautons which was more a palace then a castle, and could not wait to return the favour.

Ron's voice came from behind them. "Two of you were not bad enough, you need to have some kind of sick orgy? Well leave me out of it."

Harry practically gagged. "Even if we were having one we would not invite you unless you were the last person on Earth. Go find yourself a hippogriff."

Turning as red as his hair Ron turned around and stormed out of the entrance hall but they noticed he dropped something ad they went to pick it up. Harry realized that it was the journal thing that they had seen Ron with a few times that term and which they had heard him mumbling about. They had never sorted out what was so special about the book but he seemed to carry it round ad guard it like he was some girl who was protecting her diary from others, not wanting her secrets to be read. They thought it would be kind of funny if it was a diary, Ron always did seem a bit off. Considering how muggle he seemed to be on his views of homosexuality, they thought he should be watching out what he was doing for someone might have got the wrong impression.

Knowing they needed to return it but not able to contain their interest in what had Ron so mesmerized by the book, they took the book over to one of the lighted alcoves, not one of those Ron might have accused them of using, and opened the book to find it blank.

Harry took out a quill and some ink and tried to write in it but the writing kept disappearing. "This is odd, some type of stupid two way journal."

Draco snorted. "You don't think that someone has been foolish enough to fall for the weasel and they have been writing? Or maybe it is his mother."

Laughing Harry shut the book and agreed on the mother part for he reminded Draco that hippogriffs could not write. They had no idea why Ron thought the thing was so cool for even for a family with as little money as the Weasleys had, a two way journal like this was quite common. There must have been a basic security spell on it which only allowed the owners of the two journals to write in it. Harry could not deny even with their jokes that he wondered who Ron had been writing to.

Professor Lockhart came up behind them and noticed they had the book. "What are you two doing with Mr. Weasley's study journal? I hope you did not steal it."

Harry handed the book over to the man. "Ron dropped it when he was headed for the library and we were going to return it to him at dinner. But here sir."

The man made some comment about how nice that was and hurried off down the hall. They were even more suspicious about the man, and curious about the importance of the journal after that little run in. They found it quite off that Lockhart was so upset that they had picked up one of Ron's books. For now they agreed they would not tell Harry's dads for they would be more worried then usual and the two of them were sure they could find out the truth of what the journal was really about.

Harry dragged Draco towards the doors. "We were on our way for some flying and if we don't get out there soon we won't have time before dinner."


	14. hidden talents

Harry was relieved when the second game of quidditch for the season did not wind up with him in the hospital wing as the previous one had. Albus seemed to have kept his word and a spell was cast which would prevent anyone from trying to break the rule and brig a wand any where near the pitch. Once again Draco and Harry proved even in their youth to be assets for the team with Harry scoring 60 points and Draco catching the snitch an hour and a half into the game. Slytherin basically had the cup in their lap for as the year before their last game would be against Hufflepuff and there was almost no chance bar major injury of some kind, they would lose. Harry would be thrilled of course to make it three years in a row, for Slytherin had narrowly won the year before he started, Gryffindor with a seven year run before it.

But as they entered into April and most of the school was mainly empty for the holidays except some of the senior students who were studying hard for their NEWTS and OWL exams, Harry's mind had gone back to Ron. Considering all of the time the red head spent in tutoring his performance in his classes had not greatly improved and Harry was wondering if Ron was just unteachable or if Lockhart was either too incompetent or he was focussing on something other then the studies.

Harry had gone to his dads for the journal that Ron was toting around and seemed to be talking to some times, concerned them deeply. But they had managed to get their hands on it but from what they could see it was the most basic two way journal. They assumed he was just intrigued by who ever he was talking too.

Harry was surprised when he saw Ron going into the haunted bathroom and wondered what was going on so he followed him. Mrs Norris had been knocked out outside of this bathroom and there had been several students who had said when they were in the hall they had thought someone was following them.

Ron was staring at the row of sinks and muttering under his breath. "Okay I know it is here some where, but where. You would think he'd remember where it is."

Harry looked at Ron as he came into the bathroom. "Talking to yourself again are you? Ron you really need to get rid of the diary or you'll have to wear skirts."

Ron turned to glare at him, knowing that he should have suspected the little Golden boy would follow him. Harry was never willing to share the glory with anyone except maybe Draco and he was not about to allow a Gryffindor to steal the thunder. Ron had no idea why the twins and Charlie thought he was so cool. He was sure they were like Harry's other friends, just out for the fame that went with being his friends. Well Charlie made no sense but the fact Charlie had decided to work with animals and become a professor instead of playing professional quidditch, had never made sense to him either.

Ron sneered at him. "Get out of here you little brat, this is my glory. I am going to find the legendary chamber of secrets. For once you'll not hog the glory."

Harry practically laughed at him. "You actually believe in that old legend do you? Has that book told you things? I hope you realize that is a simple two way."

From the sputtering from Ron he seemed to not have known that ad Harry loved to see the red in his face. As much as Ron tried to deny it, Harry knew he had hit the nail on the head and from the way Lockhart had been about the journal, Harry had a feeling that Lockhart was the one who was writing in it. He had no idea why the man would pull something like that unless he was looking for the material for his next book. Harry had been told he stole the deeds of other people

They were both surprised when Charlie and Remus appeared in the doorway, explaining that they had been told as they were heading down to the grounds, that two male students had been seen going in here. Against Ron's wished Harry told them what was going on.

Moaning Myrtle the ghost of the bathroom appeared. "The boy is right, there is an entrance to the chamber here. The snake who killed me was released from here."

Remus stared at the ghost. "We were always told you were killed by the monster spider that Hagrid was expelled for releasing on the school."

The ghost laughed and shook her head, explaining it was a snake which had come from the fountain area which had killed her. Both Remus and Charlie knew enough to know that she was talking about a basilisk. The realization the giant snake might still be alive in the school definitely bothered them and they needed to find out, sending a patronus which soon brought the headmaster as well as Professor McGonagall down there.

When Ron was sent off back to his tower Remus looked at his son. "Do you think you can open it? From the legends it is Slytherin's layer."

Harry reluctantly looked at the others for few people knew he was a Parselmouth."I will try, but are you sure that the snake will not be waiting for us."

Albus thought the snake was likely sleeping and Harry reluctantly started speaking Parselmouth though he was not sure it would work. But suddenly an opening to an underground passage opened up. Harry did not like the look the headmaster was giving him, a if Harry had suddenly handed his fortune over to him or something, Professor McGonagall and the others were just amazed by this.

Remus was reluctant to allow his son to go but Albus argued he might be needed and it proved true when they got down to a chamber where Harry was once again needed to open a chamber door. Harry stared at the largest snake he had ever seen and his heart was racing through his chest. He had no idea what to do.

Suddenly Fawkes appeared and they were shocked when he dropped a sorting hat in Harry's arms. Albus stared at the bird. "What are you doing here?"

Harry realized he felt something in the hat and was amazed when he drew a sword from it. "I assume he means for us to kill the snake with this."

His dad and the headmaster and McGonagall all stared at him for it was the legendary sword of Gryffindor, lost since the time of Godric. It was said that only the true heir of Godric would be able to draw the sword from the hat. Albus reached for the sword to take it so he could slay the snake but it burned his skin when he tried. The sword had gone red hot but Harry who was holding it, was not burned. Not knowing how he knew Harry walked over to the sleeping snake and drove the sword through the head of the snake, piercing through the brain and killing the creature once and for all.

Harry pulled the sword free and not knowing what else to say or do for he was in a bit of shock just muttered. "Cool."


	15. Padfoot escapes

Lockhart has of course been found out, having been writing in a two way journal to Ron, convincing him to try and track down the chamber of secrets. Lockhart it turned out was under pressure from his publishers to have a new book published or he was going to lose his contract with them and he had been drawing a blank. Of course the man had been stealing ideas for years and he had hoped he could stir up some action in the school and once again find himself being able to hog all of the spotlight and get a book. It seemed his newest book would be a memoir from behind bars, that is if he was allowed paper and a quill when he was in medium security at Azkaban for ten years, having proved with vertiserum he had been the one to attack Harry on the quidditch pitch as well as he had endangered other students all year, especially of course Harry who had wound up in the hospital after a class with him.

Harry had not been allowed to tell the story of what had happened, the killing of the snake and all though rumours were spreading. Harry had been allowed to keep the sword of Gryffindor though it had been sent home for he could not keep it in the dorms of course. Harry had been hoping his dad would get to take over DADA but once again Albus squashed that again. He of course claimed it was because the parents would not want a werewolf teaching but the parents had not minded Remus living at school. They were not pleased when Albus actually taught the class himself for the rest of the year and said he would get a replacement for the fall.

Remus did not really mind, he was busy with his text books and Lockhart was not the only one with a contract, having published a further two kids' books since their move from France. Their son may have grown up but he still inspired the books and Harry smiled at the thought of reading the books to his own kids some day. The school year ended with Slytherin winning the house cup again as Harry and Draco had helped lead the Slytherin quidditch team to a second cup in a row.

Harry and his dads were home for a few days before his birthday, having spent the past few weeks in France. They would be spending August really at Malfoy Manor but his dads loved Spinner's End and he was growing to love it as well. His dads though were woken with him screaming at the top of his lungs one night.

They both came into the room and Severus sunk down onto the bed where his son was awake but desperately trying to breathe. "Its okay prince, its okay."

Watching as their son buried his head against his dad Remus rubbed his back. "It was just a bad dream cub, can you tell me and Daddy what it was about?"

Slowly Harry admitted he had seen an odd black dog which seemed to be swimming in a rough ocean away from some island. But as odd as it seemed, it had grown scarier when he had seen the dog transform into a man. It was the man he remembered from the mirror, Sirius Black, the man who had betrayed his parents. From the description he gave his dads were sure he was talking about Azkaban but he had seen pictures of it, it didn't mean it was anything but a dream.

Harry was calming but he looked at them. "He kept saying my name and transformer. He is in prison right? I mean there isn't any way that man could get out right?"

Severus kissed his son on the head. "You know no one has ever escaped from Azkaban before Harry. I promise that this has to be dream."

Though they managed to get him back to sleep, they stayed up themselves for some time. They sent an owl to Moody to see if the ministry had made sure to put animagus wards on the cell, Remus having revealed the marauders were animagi, when Sirius was arrested. They had thought Sirius would be too weak from the constant dementors and would not have the power to transform anyways but they needed to make certain. Moody floo called them back and assured he would be going out to Azkaban and ensuring his former protégé was still in his cell. The men finally managed to drift off to sleep after that.

But in the morning two pieces of news came during breakfast, a note from Moody only minutes before the newspaper had arrived. The note warned them that the wards had not been ordered put up for they had thought not even an animagus could escape. Moody had gone to check and sure enough found the cell to be empty.

Harry spotted the newspaper before they could hide it. "He escaped from prison, the man who helped kill my parents and nearly me, is out of prison?"

Remus pulled his son into his arms. "We will not allow him to hurt you cub, I promise. Your Papa and I will do everything we can to make sure you're safe."

Severus finished reading the letter from Moody which said they would be sending an auror to the school in the fall officially to teach DADA. Of course unofficially he would be there to keep an eye on Harry. There was some concerns though that Cornelius would also be sending dementors as well, and they prayed that he was wrong. They could only imagine there being dementors at the school around those kids, it could not be good for the students there.

Moody was going to have a guard for Harry for the rest of the summer but there was the recommendation they consider returning to school. Their home did not have the wards the school had. But they were not anxious to return and instead Severus sent word to Moody they would be heading for Malfoy Manor.

Severus kissed his son on the head. "We were heading there on your birthday anyways and their wards are much stronger then ours. You'll be safe there."

Harry nodded. "I guess."

His Papa took him up stairs to help him pack and he could tell his son was still shaken. They would likely have been better to take him to school but Harry was shaken enough. The Malfoy's wards were strong and if they could allow Harry to have as much normalcy as possible, they hoped it could make him feel more at ease. Remus though and his husband were just as shaken. A man who was the former brother of James and godfather to Harry had betrayed the couple to their deaths and Harry almost to his, and they were worried he would want his revenge on harry for all of the years he had spent in prison.

The Malfoys were waiting when they arrived and were expecting it when they read the newspapers. There was no question of Harry staying, even if there was a worry about Sirius. Harry's birthday party seemed to be on hold though for the safety of his friends.

Severus held his husband as they watched Harry and Draco talking. "We will protect our son. That man will not hurt Harry, I would kill him first."


	16. new professor

The summer had been a tense one to say the least and they had not even been allowed as they had considered, to take Harry to France for a bit. The ministry reminded them they were providing Harry with security and that was in the UK. They had not been pleased that the couple had ignored the order for Harry to be returned to school but Moody had stepped in on their behalf and made sure Harry could remain where he was. Draco and Blaise were the only friends able to attend his birthday that year but Harry had not felt much in the festive mood anyways.

He was very reluctantly allowed to go for school supply shopping two days before the school year started. Harry had been told he would be permitted to go the Hogsmeade weekends but he would be restricted to certain very public areas where he would be close to a chaperone and where the security sent to school would be able to keep an eye on him. Harry hated the fact but he was scared to death about Sirius, and was just grateful as well he could have some normalcy.

He was relieved to find out from his dads that some of his friends would be shopping the same day. He had missed them on his birthday but his dads had not needed to explain. Harry cared so much about his friends and would have insisted himself that he had not wanted to put his friends in any danger.

Harry smiled in relief when in the Leaky Cauldron he spotted some familiar red heads. He threw himself at Charlie. "I missed you guys."

Ron though sneered at him. "What you decided you did not cause me enough trouble last year you want to put me at risk from a mass murderer as well?"

Molly shot her youngest son a dirty look and from what Harry caught from her whispered speech, they had already talked to him about it. It had been decided any ways that Charlie would accompany Harry, Draco and the twins shopping. Harry's dads would be doing text books and apothecary for the boys, as the Weasleys would do for the twins, leaving the rest to the kids to do for themselves. Charlie and the auror watching Harry were considered enough besides they doubted Sirius would be dumb enough to try anything with all of these people around anyways.

Arthur looked at Ron. "Come along, we have to go to the shop and get your rat some tonic. I think though that animal is finally on his last leg."

Fred laughed as Ron went off muttering under his breath. "He should be glad he got anything. The rest of us have to wait until we become prefects."

Snorts and laughter followed that comment and the twins tried to look hurt but they failed. There was no one in the group who ever would believe the twins would become prefects next year. Bill, Charlie and Percy all had been and given owls, and Bill had made head boy. Bill had been too busy with work to come shop with them but he had sent his love and Harry had received a cool book on ancient curses from him for his birthday. He was always closer to Charlie and now the twins but Harry still remained in close contact with Bill. Percy and Harry got alone well enough, well better then Ron, but he was a bit snooty. Ginny still had not got over her mad blushing and he was not sure the girl had even spoken a few sentences to him all last year.

Harry had been hoping that shopping would be a nice break from the summer but though there were no dangers, Harry was even more spectacle then before. The world did not know the truth about Sirius, that he had been the one to betray his parents. But they did know a Death Eater was on the loose and rumours that he had been heard to mutter he wanted to kill Harry, had spread. He could only imagine how bad things would be if the world knew the full truth of what had happened.

Charlie tried to distract him as did the others as best as they could. "So what two electives did you guys choose to do this year?"

Harry was grateful for the change. "Ancient runes and your class of course, well Draco believe it or not is taking divination."

Draco shrugged saying he though it might be a good laugh beside she knew so much about muggles, and arithmancy and runes bored him. It seemed the change of topic was a good idea and Harry's dads were relieved to see he was a bit more relaxed then before.

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They had been on the train for a few hours when the train started to slow down and while some of his friends were excited, Harry and Draco both knew they were too far still for hem to have come to the school. The train though pulled to a complete stop where ever they were and they all peered through the window trying to figure out what was going o but where ever they were it was too dark out and there were no lights to see what was happening.

But they could feel it happen for the train suddenly became really chilly and even before the compartment door slid open and the hooded figure appeared, Harry had a feeling from what he had been told by his dads, what was happening. It seemed Moody had be right, the minister had sent the dementors to the school.

Harry suddenly felt the entire world grow freezing and he could hear woman's voice in his head screaming. 'Not Harry, please not Harry.'

Just as he was struggling to hold it together, desperate to drive him off, a bright light appeared and a voice from behind. "Expectro Patromum."

The cloaked figure disappeared and as a shaking Harry looked up he smiled for he recognized the figure in the doorway. He knew Moody was sending one of his aurors to teach at the school that year but he had not been expecting her. Nymphadora Tonks, Draco's cousin on his mother's side, and a metamorphmagus. She was only a year out of the auror training academy but she was really cool and always knew all the best spells and tricks. Harry had met her a few times with Draco as well as from Moody who had been a friend of the family since he was little.

Tonks handed him a piece of chocolate. "Wotcha Harry. Pretty cool standing up to it, you behave and I might teach you a patronus one of these days."

Harry bit into the chocolate for he knew it would warm his body back up again but Draco piped in. "Mum never told me you were becoming a teacher."

Tonks turned to her cousin and reminded him it was to have been a secret till now. Besides she was only here for the year, she made a better auror then a teacher. What few students would know of course was the fugitive on the run was not only Harry's godfather but also second cousin to both Draco and Tonks. Like Remus, any of her former love for her cousin who she once idolized, had bee replaced by a need for justice and to see the man back in prison where he belonged, or so she said.


	17. sneaky rat

Tonks had been surprised when Alastor had hand picked her to come to school and teach there for the year. She was his personal protégé and she would have thought he could not lose her from the street. But he had needed someone that he could trust and beyond that someone Harry would trust to take care of him. Tonks may have been cousins with Sirius but she would see him back in prison, or given the kiss before he laid a hand on Harry. Both her and her mother had felt extremely betrayed when they had learned what he had done, Sirius and Andromeda having been each other's favourite cousins and more like sister and brother as they grew up. She cared about Harry deeply who few people knew was the Black heir since Sirius was in prison for life, a member of the family.

She had not just been making a comment on the train about teaching Harry to make a patronus charm. She had in fact been asked to do more, to give Harry private lessons this year in defence so if the unthinkable happened and he came face to face with Sirius he might be able to defend himself. But they were all too clearly reminded that Peter had been grown wizard ad he had been blown to pieces by Sirius. Even if Peter had been a bumbling idiot sometimes, Harry was only thirteen. Remus would be helping as well, but while Remus was amazing n DADA, Tonks was an auror, and it d been decided they would be a good mix.

For the first time since they started school Harry and his friends had a great DADA teacher. They would have bee worried about the seeming curse on the job but were reminded Tonks only planned to be there for a year anyways. The only practical DADA class they had before was Cornish Pixies with Lockhart which they would have all liked to have forgotten but Tonks had introduced them to a boggart first class. Most people had been confused when Harry had seen a dog, not knowing.

Tonks looked at Harry on their first Saturday afternoon session, Harry having finished quidditch for the day that morning. Today it was just the two of them for Remus had gone into town on business. Tonks was going to tech Harry how to create a patronus and hopefully one who could speak, a way to send a call for help.

Harry was amazed when he had been told the last part. "Even seventh years don't get taught that part, and they don't learn patronuses until next term."

Tonks laughed and shrugged. "You are already well ahead of your classes in charms, transfiguration and DADA. I am sure we can help you learn it soon."

The headmaster had refused to allow Harry to progress and skip a grade or two in any of his subjects. He had ignored reports from even Professor McGonagall who found herself actually speaking up for a Slytherin which was nearly unheard of from the woman. Harry was at a sixth year level in charms and DADA and a fifth year level in transfiguration, the teachers allowing Harry to do extra curricular spells for extra marks, which showed at what level; he was at. The only class he did even better it was of course potions class though Harry was already showing a knack for runes. But Albus had said he was worried it would show Harry special treatment.

Tonks pointed at a trunk. "I have a new boggart for us to use. I know it will not be like facing a Dementor but it will be the closest thing we could handle."

Harry remembered the horrible feeling on the train but the fear of Sirius was as great if not even greater. "If it is like class, I could see it working."

Putting a hand on his shoulder she felt bad that he had seen the dog in class though grateful the human form had not come out. A patronus would drive away dementors but not Sirius of course. But it could be used as a distraction and if they could teach him how to send messages through it, could help with Sirius. They all hoped Harry would never have to face the man who had helped kill his birth parents but they knew they needed him to be prepared if the worst happened.

Tonks looked at him. "You need to pick your best memory, the moment you were really happy, and then use the words Expectro Patromum."

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It was a Saturday two weeks after the start of term and Harry and Draco were out on the grounds for walk in the evening. Harry had not managed to create more then a white light so far but Tonks had assured Harry that it was good progress for someone his age and his Papa had readily greed with her on that. Draco was jealous but Remus had said in the summer perhaps he could learn, and Draco was just happy to have the evening with Harry.

Draco had of course taken divination and he was sharing horror stories of the class with Harry as they walked. He was starting to wish he had taken muggle studies instead for it would have been an easy pass and even if boring, it could not have been worse then the class he was in. Harry was happy he had taken runes instead.

Draco sighed. "The woman's incense is worse then the perfume of Lockhart, I swear my eyes water for an hour after every class with the woman."

Harry tried to look serious. "Well at least you only have to put up with it for two years. You just need to find your inner seer that is all.

Not finding his friend funny at all Draco elbowed Harry hard in the ribs and pulled him into a headlock, threatening to feed him to the giant squid. The professor had seen a student attacked by the squid and he thought that he would help her out by making at least one of her ridiculous prophecies come true. They thought she was actually a seer of the past for Dennis Creevey, some little Gryffindor, had fallen in the lake on his way over in the boats and was rescued by the squid.

Harry pulled away but he and Draco were so close together their lips nearly touched."Draco."

Draco smiled and leaned in to kiss him, having been thinking about it for some time but suddenly he was startled. "What the hell?"

A strange rat had climbed right up the back of Harry and was sitting near the base of his neck, Harry wearing robes and distracted by the near kiss, had not noticed Draco swatted at the rat which they realized had been Ron's pet and the thing scampered off. Harry had been shocked by the near kiss, Draco was his best friend and they would have been raised like brothers if Harry had not gone to France. He was confused but he could not deny if the rat had not come, he may have wanted the kiss. Draco though had been thinking about doing it for some time.

Draco watched Harry that night, he having been disappointed to be interrupted. "We will have that kiss when there are no interfering rats around next time."


	18. first kiss

Draco had no idea what he had been thinking when he had nearly kissed Harry. Harry was his best friend, hell they had once considered each other brothers when they were little. He was not even sure his friend liked boys, Draco having noticed when other boys their age started to look at girls, he was looking at boys. He knew his parents would have laughed and said a crush today would likely never be anything, they were so young. And that worried him for he didn't want to ruin his friendship with Harry for it meant the world to him. He was glad the rat had broken off the kiss for Harry had been so uncomfortable with the closeness and practically ran off after it. It had been a week and neither of them had mentioned it, and Harry always seemed to have Blaise or the twins near him when Draco was around or found some reason to run off. He knew he shouldn't be hurt, for he had tried to kiss his best friend, he knew Harry would be confused and shocked.

Remus had been watching his nephew as they were waiting for Harry to come back from his extra DADA training. Remus had thought it would be good to have them both for tea for he knew Harry had not been able to have as much time with his friends since he started the extra training. The next day was the first Hogsmeade weekend the next day, Slytherin having their quidditch practice on Sunday instead of their usual Saturday morning. The boys had both been numerous times before since they were little but they were excited about going on their official trip. Harry did not even mind that he would need to have some extra guards.

He shared a look with his husband for they had noticed there was something going on. They had noticed both their son and Draco had both been acting odd. Harry had told them about being nearly bitten by Ron's rat which he had said was the reason he was shaken last week but they were not so certain about that any more.

Severus sat down. "Is there something we should know about Draco? Both you and Harry have been a bit odd lately. You know you can talk to me."

Draco was about to say something when the door opened and Harry came in. "I think I should go. I forgot I have barely started my potions paper."

Severus knew his nephew was lying for he and Harry had been working on it before and always had it done early but Draco fled through the door. Harry looked a bit surprised but he was not as confused as his dads seemed to be by it all.

Severus looked at his son. "Harry what is going on? Draco could not have got out of here quick enough and you both have been acting kind off odd."

It took a lot of coaxing but Harry finally said. "Draco was about to.....well I think he was....kiss me before the rat attacked me."

Their son was blushing and refused to look at them, and they knew Harry was worried that they would not approve. They loved Draco like a nephew after all but his dads were not so blind. They had seen the looks between the boys though they had thought they were a bit young to be serious. They doubted the boys would find true love with each other or anything but they smiled that their son's first puppy love might be Draco.

Remus put a hand on his son. "You have not talked to him about it have you? You know even if you're not certain you like boys, you need to talk to Draco."

Harry finally looked up. "I don't know, I mean I have never been really into girls but I.....And Draco is my best friend. I am worried about hurting him."

His dads reminded him just because they were gay did not mean he would be. They also reminded him first boyfriends were usually not last and as long s he was honest with Draco they thought neither would likely get hurt. From the look on Draco's face, he was a bit hurt right now, and they assumed he was worried he had scared Harry or run him off, after hearing the way their son had reacted to the kiss.

Remus kissed his son on the head. "Just talk to him tomorrow and be honest cub. He will always be your friend. Besides remember you two are still very young."

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Draco had run into the twins the day before and they had convinced him he needed to talk to Harry. They thought the two of them made a cute couple and even Charlie agreed with the twins. Charlie told Draco how nervous he had been when he had kissed his first boy, he had been a year older, in his fourth year and fourteen. He did not come from a family with any history of being gay even if it was common in their world, and he had been worried how his family would react. They had always been accepting of it though and they had welcomed his boyfriend into their home many times, Molly already trying to plan a wedding for them and talking grandkids. Harry had been lucky for there was no doubt for him with having two dads, and Draco had grown up around his gay Uncles as well.

Harry seemed bit more relaxed around him which he was relieved for, when they headed in for town. It was the first time since the failed kiss that Harry had been willing to be close to him at all. And he was even happier when Harry agreed to accompany him into the sweet shop when the others were still at the quidditch shop.

Draco looked at Harry as they were leaving with their purchases. "I am sorry about trying to kiss you. I mean I wanted to, but I am not even sure you like boys."

Harry stopped him. "I wasn't either but I was just worried about losing my friend. I kind of wanted you to kiss me, but I don't want to lose my best friend."

They both realized they had the same fear and they agreed silently at first but then verbally they would remain best friends no matter what. Draco took the chance and since there was no pesky rat this time to distract them, Draco gently kissed Harry. It was barely a brush, a very platonic kiss, but for the two thirteen year olds who had never had a kiss of any kind before, it left them both blushing but smiling as well.

Harry smiled. "I liked that a lot."

Once again they were interrupted but this time by the Rat's owner. "I knew you two were sick little snakes but you're worse then I thought. Queer freaks like his dads."

Harry was reminded that Ron had never been good about Charlie and his boyfriend from the start, the only one in their family. Ron had found new reasons every year it seemed to hate Harry, Lockhart and his sister's crush being the reason last year. Now it seemed that Harry was gay and that was just another reason to hate him.

Harry pointed off in the direction of the shrieking shack. "Should go look there, might be lucky if you afford a place like that when you clean crap cages for a living."

Ron sneered at him and stormed off but they heard him muttering under his breath. "Hope Black gets his hands on the brat would serve him right that's for sure."

Draco put a calming hand on Harry and the twins who had appeared behind them reminded Harry that their younger brother was not worth the trouble. Harry was safe and the likes of Sirius Black would not get his hands on Harry. The twins were happy to see Draco had taken their advice and kissed Harry, and thought it was cute they were dating. Unlike the adults they seemed to think the boys would be cute if they stayed together and got married one day.

Draco led Harry off with the twins towards the Three Broomsticks. "Your brother's pet suits him; they both are sneaky little rats."


	19. pitch dangers

The first game of the quidditch season had arrived and Harry was excited. The twins had tried to bribe Harry and Draco to throw the game for them though. Their captain Oliver had really wanted to have the cup for his senior year as they had not won it since Harry started plying for the team. They had of course been joking for they had always agreed to competition on the field alone, but Harry would not have put it past Oliver to try and bribe them. Oliver was a good guy, Harry had got to know him a bit thanks to the twins, actually their entire team, for he had been invited to Gryffindor victory parties when the lions had played other teams, but he was very competitive. Harry though had every intention of him being disappointed for Harry wanted to make it three years in a row. Charlie held the record, six wins in a row so far, only making the team second year for Harry was the first to make starter first year. Harry hoped he could beat his big brother's record.

But the weather for the first game of the season left something wanting for a huge thunder storm had rolled in. The weather had been bad for few days but nothing like this and Harry wondered if there was a worry about being struck by lightening when they were out there. He found himself happy he was not a keeper for the big hoop seemed like a lightening rod waiting to happen out there. But the teams had been informed it would have taken much worse weather for the game to have been cancelled and after all of the practices, Harry was glad it was not.

As they hit the air he was glad that he was neither Draco nor the seeker for the other team for he could not even imagine trying to find the snitch in this weather. He was better the even his brother at times but he would definitely be happy today to focus on the quaffle and the hoops instead. They were hoping though they could end the game early for none o them wanted to be out in the weather any longer then needed.

Harry was flying when he suddenly felt something cool run up his back and he knew that it was not the weather. "What the hell?"

Alicia on the other tem heard him and nodded as she flew past him. "Look, there are dementors coming towards the pitch."

Remembering the train Harry was in shock for they had been assured the dementors would not actually come near the students like this. They were meant to stay near the gates and in town so they could make sure that no one came into the school grounds who were not allowed there. He could see he was not the only one who was affected by them coming and wondered if all of those kids in one place had been too much of a draw for the creatures.

He tried to focus on the game and though every once and a while he heard his mother's voice in his head he shook it away as best as he could. He managed to score another two goals when the dementors had come though he had narrowly missed being clobbered by a bludger and had been saved by Katie who was on the other team.

Harry saw Draco and the seeker for the other team had gone into dive for the Golden snitch and he smiled when the whistle blew. "Slytherin wins 240-60."

But he heard someone shout. "He is going to crash."

Harry noticed that the seeker from Gryffindor seemed to be lost in some kind of trance and was still in a dive towards the ground, Draco having pulled out. Harry could see the dementors were still close and knew that the boy must have been affected by the dementor. Harry sent his broom down into a long dive at a break neck speed, not even sure he would be able to come out of such a dive, and just before either of them got to the ground, he snagged the edge o the broom of the other seeker and pulled them both out of the dive though both of them just barely skimmed the top of the grass.

Both teams landed as Harry brought them both to a stop and the other boy was shaking as he began to recover from it. The dementors had finally been driven off by the teachers but what ever the memories had been as well as the fact he had early had a bad crash, left the Gryffindor seeker quite shaken.

Oliver cam over to Harry and clapped him on the back. "Good game and amazing dive Harry. Thanks for saving our seeker out there."

Professor McGonagall had come to check on her team and turned to Harry. "Thirty points to Slytherin for your bravery Mr Snape."

Professor McGonagall was a teacher who often fell prey to the bias against Slytherin but Harry had proven impossible even for her to ignore the skills of. Just like when she had spoken on his behalf when the headmaster was not allowing him to skip ahead, she could not deny his flying skill or the fact that Harry had saved her seeker from a pretty bad crash. Gryffindor had lost the game but there was still a small chance they could win the cup based on scores and wins the rest of the season and to do so they obviously would need their seeker in shape to play.

Severus was irate with the headmaster for the man had sworn dementors would not be near the students. He could not even believe they had been let near the pitch. It was a miracle only the one seeker had been affected and they were lucky not only the seeker but Harry had not been injured in the crash. Albus claimed he had no control and had said he thought having sent them off would have disrupted the game and would have put the players in even more risk then they had been before.

Draco came to Harry for he could tell his boyfriend was a bit white. "How about we hit the showers? We need to warm up and we have the party waiting for us."

Harry nodded and after hugging his dads who were so proud of him he went with Draco. "I hope they can convince the ministry to finally send those things away."

Lucius had been trying to convince Cornelius they were not needed but the man had yet to be convinced about it. They hoped when they could prove they were right that they were danger to students, it would be the end of it. Harry and Draco though were soon drawn into the quidditch talk again and their minds left the dementors. The team though they had made cracks he should have allowed the Gryffindor seeker to crash, were all impressed at how he had flown. They had seen him practice for seeker but they had never seen anyone except the rare professional, manage the kind of dive he had performed out there.

As they were heading back to the castle Harry's eyes were drawn over towards the wood and he thought he saw a strange black dog. Draco shook his head and reminded his boyfriend his talk of grims from divination class, were affecting him. But Harry was thinking instead about the dreams he had.

Draco clapped him on the back. "The storm is worse, glad it waited till the game ended. It is probably Fang; I mean Hagrid's hut is that way."


	20. close call

It was the last weekend before the Christmas break ad the students had their second Hogsmeade weekend of the year to look forward to. Harry and Draco were looking forward to some shopping but Harry wanted to give his boyfriend something special for their first Christmas since they had started dating each other. Harry was a bit worried about Christmas for he had not seen Draco's parents since they began dating. His dads had taken it well though and they had swore so would the Malfoys. They would tell Harry and Draco the same thing, they loved Harry like a second son already but they thought at that age the boys would be first loves but not last. As long as the boys kept to their promise to each other to remain friends if they did not work out, they knew the relationship would be good for both of them. Harry had other gift to buy for including both sets of parents but while Draco helped him with those, his mind was on Draco.

His dads had helped him go through mail order catalogues but he had not found anything that excited him. His dads had both laughed for he had been buying gifts for Draco since he was little and had never had such a problem before. They reminded him they would be in London before Christmas and if he could not pick anything in Hogsmeade they would take him to Diagon Alley to buy something. Whenever Harry thought of Christmas shopping there it brought back an old memory and made him shake. He had shopped there over the years but not Christmas shopping, that was always since returning to the UK, here or mail order.

Harry broke away from the group to head to one of the smaller shops not many students frequented and looked for something special for Draco. He eventually settled on a muggle item which reminded him of the gifts Draco gave his parents as a kid. It was a pendant which broke in half and each member of a couple wore it. He did not go for the heart for that seemed too corny but he found a really pretty ying and yang symbol. He thought Draco could have the black for Harry's hair and he white.

As he was leaving the shop he felt a hand grab him from behind and before he could call out for help to one of the chaperones in the area a hand was clamped over his mouth and he found himself dragged into a door off the back alley way.

Harry fought the hand and broke free coming face to face with a hooded man. "What the hell are you doing? I will scream for help."

A voice which was heavily concealed by the robes laughed. "No one will hear you little boy. These walls are too thick. Now come over here."

Though Harry made a break for the door he found himself ensnared by a spell and being dragged back towards the other figure. He was not sure why for he could not see who it was or recognize the voice but he some how knew he knew the man. As the hands grabbed him he fought desperately as he felt one of the hands going down below his waist and it began to open his robes and was on the front of his trousers. Harry fought the fear, memories he had been running from since he was little, flooded through his mind and he desperately tried to fight the fear and panic rising through his chest. He could not allow this to happen.

The other man managed to get his trousers down and his boxers soon followed, Harry finding himself in a body bind after biting his attacker and kicking him, trying for the balls but only getting the leg. Harry could see he had drawn blood as it was dripping to the ground but he had failed and he was now unable to move away.

The man's hand went down and suddenly was on his bare cock and balls. "How I love a nice smooth cock, still nice and young I see that it does not need shaving."

Harry desperately tried to fight the spell that had been used on him. "You can't do this, you can't. Let me go."

Suddenly the door burst open and before he knew what was happening the man behind him had backed off and a huge form leaped at his attacker and knocked him down to the ground there. For a moment he thought it was his Papa but he shook away the thought, his Papa had never learned to be a shifter, he could not take wolf form by will, something usually only pure bloods could master. But he realized it was not a wolf, it was a dog and he was hit with the fear and the memories of the nightmares he had been having and knew it was the dog from his dreams.

He suddenly heard a crack and realized the person who had attacked him had apparated way, and the spell binding him had slipped away. He wanted to run but he found his knees gave out on him and all he could do was hold a wand on the dog like figure and wondered if he was saved from being raped, just to be murdered.

Suddenly he heard voices outside and he knew he heard his Papa's voice. "The store owner swears he saw Harry taken back here by someone."

His dad's voice was calling out. "Harry, Harry can you hear us?"

Before Harry could even call out for them the dog like figure had jumped through a widow he had not even spotted before and disappeared. Harry managed to call out for his dads before he managed to get his clothes back on. His dads, Tonks and Draco came bursting through the door and he soon found himself gathered up in the arms of both his Papa ad his Dad. Tonks needed to talk to him for they knew he had been attacked but his dads took him to school at first. As Poppy checked him over to see if he was okay, he told them what had happened. They were not sure what they were more worried about, who attacked him or that Sirius was there.

Harry held it together well before he got home but he broke down completely in his dads' arms when they got him to their rooms. The fear of being attacked and nearly raped, and the confusion over being saved by the mass murderer he believed was after him, hit home like a speeding bullet. His dads promised they would find out who tried to rape him, and try and keep him safe from Sirius.

Harry looked at them before he drifted off for they put him to bed with a potion. "Why did he save me? If Sirius wants me dead, why did he save me from an attack?"

Severus wished he knew the answer to tell his son but he was even more confused then harry was. "I'm not sure prince, but we will find out."

As they watched their son sleep Severus held his husband and knew he was as shaken as their son. They had their suspicions of who may have attacked Harry, considering their suspicions from when harry was little, which had driven them to France. But Sirius was their main concern right now and confusion, like Harry they could make no sense of why the man had protected their son. Right now they were ready to take Harry and go far way but they knew the days they could do that were gone.

Remus rested his head against his husband. "I don't know why he did it but I am grateful Sirius saved him. I just want to know what the hell he is doing."


	21. Peter Pettigrew

Harry had ended up with mail order gifs for the remainder for he could not even be convinced when they were in London. Harry was badly shaken for the holidays and while Charismas day brought some cheer for him, he was very quiet and Draco and his dads were worried about him. Both how close he had come to being raped and the fact that the mass murderer who tried to have him killed as a baby and helped kill his birth parents, had saved his life, left him badly shaken. His dads were not much better and they had not been too disappointed Harry had not wanted to leave the manor during the holidays. Right now they had not wanted their son out of their sight for now. They knew they were being over protective but after the way James and Lily died and after all Harry had been through a child, they took it seriously.

When they returned to school for the next term Harry was doing a bit better and as he sunk back into classes he started to recover a bit. He spent the first while living with his dads but it took only a week before his friends convinced him to come back to the dorms. There were two extra aurors on campus and Harry never got over the feeling that he was being watched and he did not need his dads to admit that he had a shadow on him. None of the kids were supposed to know and the shadow was only to be seen if they had known

In February there was a big weekend for there was the second quidditch game of the season as well as the Valentine's Day Hogsmeade trip. Harry's dads had told him it was his choice whether he went into town for Valentine's Day. Draco though had made the choice for he knew Harry was worried that he would be disappointed if they did not have a proper date. Draco actually got Harry's dads to help him plan something on campus when the other students were gone.

Saturday afternoon though saw Slytherin cementing their cup win as they defeated Ravenclaw by well over 200 points. They would have had to lose and lost badly to Hufflepuff for Gryffindor to have a chance and the only team who ever lost to Hufflepuff was Ravenclaw and even that was a rare event.

As the others were heading out on Sunday for town Harry looked at Draco. "Are you sure you don't mind? I mean everyone looks forward to these weekends."

Draco bent down and kissed him warmly on the lips. "I want to celebrate the day and have a good time with my boyfriend. And we can do that here as well."

Though Harry did not look sure at all Draco led Harry to the room of requirements which was waiting for them. With some help from his parents and from Harry's dads he had set up what looked like a muggle movie theatre. The manor had muggle entertainment center installed run off of magic but the school usually affected muggle technology, the best they could get usually was a muggle cd which would play on the wwn. But it had been hooked up to a pensieve and a spell like a projection and there was even a little concession stand with some muggle treats like popcorn as well as candy and pop. Such technology even run off magic and a pensieve were usually not allowed on campus but because of everything that was going on, a small exception had been made for the day.

Harry laughed when he realized they would be watching a movie and an old animated one they had seen when they were younger. Harry could not deny curling up in the sofa with his boyfriend for a movie and some popcorn was definitely special and relief compared to having to go into town.

Draco handed him a bowl of popcorn but Harry noticed a box on the top of the popcorn. "You didn't think your date was your only gift."

Harry handed him his own gift. "It would have been more then enough, this is amazing."

Harry found with a smile a copy of the soundtrack for the movie which would play on the portable wwn he had here, a perfect gift with the date Harry thought. For Draco he had got what looked like a piece of parchment but it had been created by the marauders for it was a two way journal but only worked for the two people intended and the writing disappeared right away like the map if someone else looked. He also gave Draco an IOU for a proper date when things were safer but Draco reassured his boyfriend that he did not need it, he liked having Harry all to himself like this.

It was a pretty routine date for muggles but it was special for the two of them and Harry broke into laughter when Dobby appeared with pizza at dinner time. The little Malfoy elf had always had a talent for making muggle food for his little master and Harry as well had always loved muggle food.

They were heading back for the dungeons when they were done when Harry noticed something. "What the hell is that rat doing following us again?"

Draco noticed Scabbers as well and shrugged. "I would say that Ron had trained the rat to be his spy but that would be giving the weasel far too much credit."

There was something about the rat which bothered Harry and he was not sure why. Later as they were talking with their friends Harry thought about something and headed for his room where he took out an old album from his Papa that had pictures of the marauders when they were students. There was one in the very back if you knew the right spell for it you could see the marauders, well the two left in the photo who were animagi, transform.

Harry was not sure why but he scanned the marauders map and kept looking and looking. Animals never showed up on it so he was not sure why he was looking but suddenly near the woods he saw a name he had never expected to see. He took the map and the album and headed straight for his dads.

He showed his Papa the map. "Peter Pettigrew is alive, he is alive. He is Ron's rat."

author note: I usually don't mind few reviews but I have not had many lately and I am having trouble finding the inspiration to write.


	22. accusations reconsidered

Remus and Severus had been enjoying their own day, trying to take their mind off of what they had been dealing with. They were worried about their beloved son, the fact he was still having trouble dealing with the fact that he had been nearly raped. Though they had no proof, his dads had their sickening feeling it had been the headmaster who had been at it again. They had been working with their son for years on occulemency trying to help him learn how to break through the barriers which were blocking his memories from when he was a little boy but they had never succeeded. Harry had flashed when he had been delirious and sick and as a small child he had always felt fear around the old man, but they had never been able to prove that he was a risk to their son. That mixed with the confusion over Sirius and why he had saved Harry from being raped in town were running through their heads.

But today was Valentine's Day and an anniversary for them, Severus had proposed to Remus on Valentine's Day when their son was seven, married a few days after Harry's eighth birthday. The day had always been special for the two of them and knowing his husband was in desperate need for a distraction and was missing their lives in France, Severus had done his best to make the day special for his husband after the two of them had helped Draco plan his date. He had some fine French wine from Lucius and the same good they had shared when they had been in Marseilles and he had proposed all those years ago.

They were enjoying their dessert when their son had burst into the room holding the photo album from the marauders and the map. They stopped dead in their tracks when they heard the words, sure their son was wrong but Harry showed them the map as well as telling them what he had figured out.

Remus looked down at the map but the name had disappeared but he knew. "The map can not be tricked; I mean it would never show an animal but an animagus....."

Harry nodded. "I have seen that rat a few times now and then I remember what you said about Peter's fingers. And Percy found him a week after that Halloween."

For a common rat Scabbers was definitely a long lived rat and he was missing the same toes as the corresponding fingers. Remus had never looked at the rat really, Peter was dead, and he had been killed while confronting Sirius. But his son made sense even though it confused him more then ever. First Sirius had saved their son from the man who was raping him and now it looked like Peter who he had killed, was alive all of this time and running around the school. He had no idea why Peter would have lived as a rat all of this time, he had known Sirius had been in prison and could not come after him.

Severus shared a look with his husband who until Peter was killed had never thought Sirius was guilty. He had thought surely there had to be some explanation, Sirius must have been tortured or something. But they had both known that the Potters had used him as a secret keeper and then he had been there to kill Peter as well.

Remus was shaking. "He could have snuck through the sewers; I mean he could have cut off......but why? I mean James used Sirius as his secret keeper."

Severus caught his husband up into his arms as Harry had sunk down into a chair. "Is there a chance they did not use Sirius? I mean could they have used Peter?"

Both his husband and son sent him shocked looks but Remus as much as he wished he could say he was sure he wasn't. He had been away on a mission when the spell had been performed. He had known they were planning on using Sirius, it was the obvious choice of course. Sirius was not only an auror, but he considered James his brother and he loved Harry like a son. There had been no doubt in their mind that he would never betray them. It had made what he had done even more cruel and hard for them to understand, for them to sort out how he could have possibly turned on those who were meant to be his family.

Looking t his son he wished he could say he was sure there was a chance Peter was the secret keeper. It would have explained why he was hiding and pretending to be dead. It would explain why a man who had loved Harry and his dad more then his own life, was blamed for their death. But he did not know why James would have switched from Sirius to Peter. Peter had never been much of a marauder, he had always needed to be protected by his big friends.

Severus went over to the fireplace. "I am going to call Lucius and then Moody. If Peter is out there we need to find a way to catch him. We need to get to the truth."

Remus sunk down with his son on the couch. "I promise cub we will find out the truth, what is going on. We will make sure the guilty one goes to prison."

As they waited for Lucius and Moody to come Remus found himself hoping maybe they were right about Sirius. Peter had been a friend but Sirius was his brother once upon a time. He found himself hoping that perhaps they would be able to clear his name, but he knew he could not get his hopes up, he might just get hurt again.

Severus looked up. "The two of them are coming and I have called Tonks up in her rooms as well. We will find out what is going on, I promise you both."

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Tonks had arrived first since he had just been in town as a chaperone but the other two were soon to follow. Tonks was shaken up, but like Remus she clung to a small hope that this might prove that her beloved cousin was innocent. She had always had trouble believing that Sirius could have turned on his best friend and his family, and though she would have seen Sirius back in prison or given the kiss after the escape, she would have liked to know that there was a chance that her cousin was innocent of the crimes. The two even with the age difference had been close, her mother and Sirius even closer.

Moody was there off the clock and even he could not deny part of him hoped that Sirius would prove innocent, his former protégé. They had to find some way to capture the rat if it was truly Peter, and get the truth from him, and if Peter really was to blame, they could fee Sirius.

Remus thought of something when asked if he thought of some where they may have gone. "The shrieking shack. We used to always go there. We have to check."

They all agreed, having checked with Ron and found out his rat was gone, to look. Harry refused to be left behind. "I deserve to be there, after all that one of them did."

No one could deny tat Harry who had been the biggest victim had right to be there and they reluctantly took him with them through the tunnel. No one was sure if Sirius was innocent or guilty but they needed to find the two missing marauders. They had been looking to put Sirius back in prison but the sudden reality that he might not have been to blame for the crimes he was accused of, had hit them.

When they came into the shack Remus snarled when they entered the main room. "Drop the wand now."


	23. true criminal

They had come into the shrieking shack and were stopped in their tracks by the image before them. Severus drew his son behind him, not sure what was going on but knowing Harry would be at risk. One of these two men had sent a mad man after him to kill him when he was a baby; they were just not sure which one any more. The fact that Peter was standing there before them all, thought dead since days after that Halloween, even more then the map, proved them true. They could see the shock in the faces of two aurors and though they were under orders to arrest Sirius and send him back to prison on the spot, neither of them were moving to do so. They were as confused as Harry and his dads were, even Moody who may have been the head auror and usually a rigid man, but Sirius had always been his favourite student.

The men turned to look at them, well Sirius in body and they could see that while Peter had his wand still in hand, his legs had been locked by some kind of spell and when he tried to move he had almost fallen over so he was reduced to looking at them. Harry held to his Dad's arm, never this scared before, unsure of which of the men he was supposed to be scared of and at that time he was scared of them both. For a moment he wished he had not insisted on coming with them but he was reminded of all the other things he had faced and he knew he needed to be here, no matter how scared he was.

Sirius had spotted them and though he knew he was likely looking at prison his eyes were on Harry. He had not seen his precious cub more then a handful of times since he had escaped from prison. He looked so much like James with Lily's eyes though he could see that Harry had been adopted.

Sirius looked at them. "I did not kill Lily and James, he did. Look at his hand. He is missing fingers."

Remus snarled at him. "James and Lily used you as a secret keeper; you were the only one who knew where they were. You could have killed my little boy."

The way Harry was clinging to Severus and the ring on Remus he knew some how the two had been married. He had not managed to find out much about his cub other then having seen him with Draco. He was shocked his best friend would be married to Snivellus and he needed to find out how the man had come to be the adoptive father of his godson, but he needed Remus to understand first. He needed him to know that he was not the one who had set Voldemort after their best friends, or the one who had blown up the street of muggles. He had spent nearly twelve years in prison for a crime he had never committed.

He looked at Moody. "Give us vertiserum, do occulemency, anything; I swear I was never their secret keeper. I would never have betrayed my brother."

Moody motioned for Severus who sure enough had two bottles. "If you prove true old friend I will see you freed. If you lie, you will face the kiss this time."

Showing no reaction to the words, likely after spending so many years in prison, he had little fear of that any more. They asked him first and he admitted he felt guilt but only because he had told James and Lily to switch to Peter for he was sure no one would have guessed they would use him. Though Peter tried to fight it he admitted that he had joined Voldemort out of fear of being killed and he had told the man where the Potters were. It came out that Sirius had cornered Peter but Peter started intentionally shouting about his betrayal and then had blown up the street before he slipped through the sewers.

Sirius looked at Remus as he admitted the only thing keeping him sane in prison was knowing he was innocent and being desperate to prove it. He had known Peter was out there as well and had been scared he would try and hurt Harry.

He looked between his cub and Remus "I swear I would never have betrayed you or them, James was my brother. I loved him, all of you, more then my own life."

Remus caught his old friend up in his arms. "Oh Merlin Padfoot I am sorry I ever thought you did."

Harry remained with his dad though, unsure of what was going on, even as Peter was being arrested by the two aurors. Sirius was told h would need to come with them but they would soon see his name cleared for the crimes and he would have his life back. Severus held his son to him and knew how scared and confused Harry was about all of this and he wished there were some words he could tell his son to comfort him but he could not find any.

Moody looked at them. "You will all need to come with us to the ministry and give statements or Sirius will not be released."

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It was hours later and they had returned from the ministry, Peter having been sent to prison to await his trial. Sirius had been given a full pardon for his crimes, and for the first time in well over a decade he was a free man. Sirius was in the apartments with them and was watching his beloved cub but Harry was keeping his distance. He had learned in the hours passed that Harry had been rescued from his abusive relatives when he was little by Severus and had been raised in France where Severus and Remus had been married. He was happy for his friend even if he was not sure of his choice in men, and to see his cub was happy and safe.

Remus kissed his son on the head and sunk down with him. "Sirius was your godfather cub and he adored you. He and James were as close as blood brothers."

Harry looked up. "I know Papa; I have heard all the stories about the marauders. And he saved me from the rapist but......"

The pictures of the marauders all had Sirius removed from them and he remembered being told after the mirror about the fact the man had betrayed his parents. He had heard the testimony and he knew Sirius was innocent, and that he had been saved from rape by the man, but he was still badly shaken and confused by all of this.

Tonks was in the room. "Sirius is going to be staying here at school and slowly taking over as DADA teacher for me. Maybe with some time it'll be easier."

Sirius saw Harry's shock. "I am not ready to go back to being an auror, if I ever will be. I likely won't start teaching till the fall but Albus has offered me the job."

Actually Albus had shocked them by agreeing to compromise, allowing both marauders the job. Tonks would continue for now as Sirius was in no shape for any work, he was physically and mentally recovering from everything right now, but he would teach the lower four grades and Remus would teach the upper three except full moons when Sirius would teach them all. Lucius had been pressuring Albus to allow Remus to have the job and he had finally given in after all of this time.

Harry nodded reluctantly when asked if he would allow Sirius to spend some time getting to know him. "I guess."


	24. world cup

The summer Harry and Draco were among the few students who knew what was coming, having been told by their dads, about the tournament. They thought it was cool, and were not even disappointed they could not compete as they were so young, about it being held. Harry had enough fame to deal with, and both he and Draco were aware it had been cancelled for decades because too many people had died in the past, and understood the age limit. They had a feeling there would be those like the twins who would not take the age limit as the final say in the matter and would try and get their names into the tournament some how. The boys though had been sworn to secrecy for none of the students were supposed to have been told. It would have been even harder though to keep it from them for Harry and Draco were going with the Malfoys for a few weeks in July to Bulgaria to visit the Krum family, old friends of the Malfoys, and see to some tournament business there.

Harry's dads had been worried about him and had agreed to the trip which Harry returned from a week before his birthday. Though he had known the truth about Sirius and had allowed the man some contact with him, he still held back a bit. He knew the man had not betrayed his family, and had saved Harry from being raped, but he was still having trouble warming up to the man, something which had never changed since he was little. Sirius had understood and had been simply happy he had been invited to spend the summer at Malfoy Manor and when Harry's birthday came he gave him and his cousin Draco for a late gift, firebolt.

The big excitement for the summer of course was the World Cup. Though disappointed that England was not in it the boys were excited, especially since Bulgaria was in it. Viktor Krum was the seeker for the team and though hey had known his name before; they had spent time flying with him when they were in Bulgaria that summer. They knew they technically should have been cheering for Ireland as it was the only UK team in the finals but they found themselves divided.

Lucius and Severus had agreed to take the boys but Sirius was coming with them. They were bringing Blaise with them for Lucius had got another ticket. The twins were going to be there with their family for their dad had managed to get some nose bleed tickets for them. Lucius had of course got box seats for them.

Harry was amazed when he looked at the massive tent which looked like the townhouse. "I should have known."

Draco elbowed his boyfriend in the ribs. "We could send you to stay on one of those over there you know. They look like muggle tents."

They had noticed a number of the tents did look like muggle pop tents but they knew would have more space within. Harry had never been camping before and found when they got inside the two story tent even felt like the townhouse inside of it. It was not the largest or most elaborate tent there, they had seen ones with turrets and towers, and menageries of animals in the gardens, but it definitely was far from roughing it either. The boys barely stayed long enough to put their bags down and headed out for they wanted to see if they could find some of their friends, and get some souvenirs. They barely made it back by dinner time and had the twins in tow with them for they had been told they could invite them for dinner, and had found them at their family tent which smelled like old cats.

The real excitement though of course came the next day with the game, even with the mascots. Harry and Draco had been to professional games in the past but nothing like this before. Though they saw Viktor catch the snitch in an incredible dive, they were disappointed that Ireland had won the game.

Draco smiled. "You need to convince Viktor to teach you how to do that move. It was incredible."

Harry smirked. "I remind you that you are the seeker for the team."

Laughing Draco assured his boyfriend he remembered but he knew if either of them could perform that move, it was definitely Harry and not him. Harry was the natural seeker of the two though Draco could definitely hold his own. Draco could only play the one position so Harry happily remained as chaser since his first year, and the snakes were already worried about what would happen in a few years when those two graduated. It had been nearly a decade since the team had won before Harry had joined the team, the cup not a game, since before Charlie Weasley had been on the team.

The Weasleys had been invited back to the tent with them for some celebration drinks. Ron though was not with them and Fred whispered that Ron had been forced to stay home with their mum for he had been in too much trouble last year and had been banned from coming to the cup.

George put Harry into a headlock. "You should be lucky that Ireland won the game or we might have to hex you. We know who you were cheering for."

Charlie smirked and came to Harry's rescue. "I have a feeling Harry could hold his own little brother. Besides I saw the Krum statue you bought."

Laughter and cheer filled the tent but about an hour later there were screams running through the camp and they headed out of the tent and realized in shock there were hooded figures coming their way with the muggle camp ground people in the air above them. The adults sent the kids off towards the wood, leaving Percy and the twins in charge of them as Bill and Charlie accompanied the adults to see if they could help end what was going on. Percy was practically dragging Ginny along who was absolutely petrified, and they soon all felt like they were being animals driven along in some kid of stampede of people.

Suddenly when they were in the woods there was a sound and everyone looked up. Draco pointed. "The Dark Mark."

Harry sent a worried look at the others. "Death Eaters? Here?"

The words were spreading through the group, no one sure what was happening before, but most people knew what the symbol was. No one had seen it since the Halloween when Harry was a baby, but it had once been over every sight where Voldemort had attacked. Harry and Draco had of course seen the symbol on the arms of their Dads more then once, symbols thy had been tortured into taking when they were not much older then their sons were now. The attacks had been bad enough but the panic that run through the people as they realized they were Death Eaters, felt like the scene would explode all around them.

Harry was never as grateful as when their dads found them and he sunk into his dad's arms who kissed his head. "Is he back?"

Severus kissed his son on the head. "I don't know prince, I don't know."

They headed home that night and they could see the adults were as shaken as the kids were. Since they took an oath on their magic, the Dark marks on both Severus and Lucius would no longer burn or glow. They had no idea if he was back but they were worried that what they had been fearing since that Halloween in 1981, and some how always knew would happen one day, had come, Voldemort would be returning.


	25. tournament begins

The opening feast that year had held a number of surprises for the students, well for most of them; Harry and Draco were two of the exceptions in that. The school was definitely surprised at the appointment of not one but two new DADA teachers. Most of them had met Remus before and thought him cool, and of course they had all seen the newspaper stories about Sirius that year, and though they knew his name had been cleared, it was still a shock for them. But actually thought it was even cooler that their new DADA teacher was the first person who had ever broken out of Azkaban, and was an auror in his day as well. An auror and a werewolf were definitely a cool combination and some of the students were wishing they were in a different grade, going both directions. Remus though not an auror, had always been top in his classes and there had been less fuss from parents about a werewolf working with the older students, the reason he would be teaching the senior classes. Tonks had been well liked though, and her two replacements would still have a time proving to the students from last year, they could be as cool as she was.

Of course the bigger news and shock had been the tournament, and the news that the other two schools would arrive in October. There were some angry cries about no quidditch, for the game was a major part of their social life at school, but they were reminded there would be tasks and other events for the tournament. There was to be a ball at Christmas time as well they had been informed, which explained why the students in fourth year and up had been ordered to buy dress robes. Harry and Draco were not surprised, actually had guessed it, when the twins before the end of the feast were already talking about finding a way into the tournament some how.

The first weeks of school seemed to fly by, Remus and Sirius still competing for title of most popular DADA teacher. Harry had been growing more accustomed to his godfather, and on weekends Sirius had dinner with them at least once, and he even offered to teach Harry how to do a talking patronus. He had suggested teaching his godson to be an animagus, but that had been vetoed by Remus, at least for another year he said. Besides there was enough to worry about with the tournament.

The students were all gathered to watch as the two other schools arrived; the boys and girls from Beauxbautons came in a carriage, and the Durmstang in a boat. Harry was excited about both for he saw familiar faces among both schools. He was surprised when both Delacaur sisters had appeared.

He kissed Fleur on the cheek but looked at Gabrielle. "I didn't think anyone below sixth years were coming Gabby. I didn't think I would see you or Anton."

Gabrielle smiled smugly. "Anton is spitting mad that I got to come and not him. Madam Maxime brought me, thought it would be a good experience for me."

Harry had of course lived down the road from the Delacaurs when he had been in France. He had not seen them that summer but he had written to them when he found out about the tournament. Anton had told him only those who were old enough to compete were being brought, and Harry had not been shocked Fleur was coming of course. Like her older brother, Fleur was head of all of her classes and the school actually had a duelling club which she was captain of. Though Harry was disappointed Anton was not there, he thought it was cool that both the girls would be.

Fleur took her sister by the arm. "We need to get inside Arry, but I am sure we will spend plenty of time with you and Draco this year. Mum and Dad say hi."

Harry waved to them as he noticed the Durmstang were coming and shared a look with Draco. "I wonder which of our friends will cause the most stir."

There had been few who had not noticed the good looks of all the French students, but especially Fleur and her sister. Harry could see that Ron was practically drooling all over himself off to one side and he could hear Ron comment that she had to be veela. For once the brat was right, well part right, for Adolphina Delacaurs' mother was a veela, making her half, and her daughters quarter veela. If he remembered right, Fleur and her sister both had wands with veela hair ion them. But if the girls caused a stir the boys from Durmstang caused an even bigger one when Viktor was noticed among them.

If Ron had been jealous when Harry was taking to the hot blond, he was even more so when Viktor came over to Harry and Draco. Ron of course absolutely idolized the Bulgarian seeker, thinking he was the best player under the moon. Harry had no doubt he would actually try and get an autograph.

Viktor clapped Harry on the back and actually steered him inside with them. "I hear you snakes will be housing us this year. Not putting you out of a bed I hope?"

Harry snorted. "No there was an old torture room or two down in the deeper bowels of the school. We thought you boys would feel far more at home down there."

Actually rooms had been added so that the ten Durmstang boys could stay with them, without putting any of the others out. From what he knew Ravenclaw would be housing the students from Beauxbautons which was proven true when they were seen eating with them during the feast. The schools were officially welcomed and the goblet was shown, the rules and such for the name entered were explained. As they already knew this stuff, Harry and Draco were busy talking with Viktor.

Draco snorted when Viktor asked about Ron. "I would keep my distance from that one if I were you. Brothers are cool, but he has the makings of a stalker."

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The twins had attempted and failed to get their name into the cup, having spent a night in the infirmary, in bodies older then the headmaster. Adrian was Slytherin's big hope for a champion but they were not certain who would b chosen for their school. There was little doubt Viktor and Fleur would serve for their schools and on the night of the announcement that was confirmed when their names were the first two that had come out of the cup. The other two schools had brought others to enter but they had been certain they had known who would be picked. Fleur let it slip it was why her little sister was brought, for she had been told there was a chance a family member might be needed for one of the tasks or a loved one, and Maxime thought Gabrielle would work better then Anton.

Hogwarts waited on baited breath for their own champion to be announced. There was surprise when Cedric was called, for even though he was a prefect and a quidditch seeker, he was a Hufflepuff. The house was not exactly known for their bravery and skill; everyone had been expecting a Gryffindor or Slytherin.

Adrian came to the defence when a few made cracks about it. "He is actually pretty cool; I have talked to him a few times. And I hear he is awesome at DADA."

Harry shrugged. "Better him then a Gryffindor. You know I love that house, well some of the ones in it, but I can just see Ron."

There had been a time when Harry was little and had been adamant about being a Gryffindor. He still had the little quidditch robes that Charlie and his friends had give him when he was a kid, but things had changed. He was definitely far happier as a Slytherin, and Adrian he had known back then as well. The twins and some of the others were cool, but Ron would never have shut up if it was his house.

As the ceremony ended Harry was asked if he was disappointed he could not compete. He smirked. "Just what I need, more bloody fame."


	26. dragon eye

The first task of the tournament was all of the talk, of course the tournament having replaced quidditch for the year, was the one source of real socializing. Well that and Hogsmeade trips for those who were old enough. Harry knew back in the day when his dads had been students there had actually been dances and other school events, and seniors were able to leave school on evenings and weekends, but things had changed with the war and had never been lightened up again. Harry hoped by the time he got to his senior year they would, seniors now only able to go if they had a job interview or like other kids, when accompanied by their family. There had been a lot of talk over the years of reducing restrictions, making Hogsmeade every month or more often, dances and such. The tournament was seen as the first step and since there had been peace for over a decade, there was hope if this went well, those changes would soon be made with the school. They thought it would perhaps cut down on if nothing more, some of the trouble the kids got in, the older kids needing a chance to get out and away.

Harry and his friends headed down to the first task, Harry hiding a grin for he knew what it was, well him and Draco. There was an upside to being friends with not one but two champions, and though the champions were not to have been told, the headmasters had broken that rule it seemed. Harry had no only been told by his friends, but when Charlie had learned, he had taken Harry with him. Charlie may never have gone to work with dragons, something he and Harry had bonded over when Harry was little, but he had friends who had, and one of them was among those who had brought the dragons.

As they were heading Harry noticed Ron, and shared a look with the twins and Draco. Ron had proved Draco right, he had been following Viktor around, trying to talk to him about quidditch and even to get an autograph. Harry had loved the look of absolute disbelief and jealousy when Ron had seek Viktor take Harry and Draco flying more then once, two of the few who had been given that privilege.

Fred smirked. "Have you heard my brother actually thinks he can land a Delacaur for the ball? He was plotting about how to ask one of them out."

George nodded. "He knows everyone will start looking for dates soon as it is nearly December. Thinks maybe he will have a shot with the younger one."

Breaking down in laughter, Harry could not believe Ron could be that foolish, he had more chance of the autograph. Gabrielle may have been younger then him, but she was as beautiful as Fleur, both looked like younger mirror images of their mother and grandmother. If Gabrielle actually wanted to go to the ball, she would need a date by the rules for only fourth year and up were invited, she would have no trouble like her sister, finding a far better date.

Draco kissed his boyfriend. "Don't think about it over there. I recall seeing the letter."

Harry got a letter from Anton telling him to keep all boys away from his kid sister, if he had to be her date himself. "Nothing to worry about, not my type."

Besides he had always seen the Delacaurs as siblings, and the thought of dating Gabrielle even if he was straight, was just wrong. He and Draco had been close, like cousins, before they began dating, but that was different. There was a chance if Harry had grown up in the UK, and lived with the Malfoys as originally had been planned, that he would have been brothers with Draco as they once considered each other when they were six. He and Draco would have loved to have grown up together, though they had spent countless time over the years through visits, but they were happy that they were far happier being in love. Their parents had thought they were too young, and it was puppy love, but they had a sneaking suspicion lately that the two actually might make it all the way.

Harry noticed the teachers were among the students in the bleachers and he noticed the headmaster. He was sitting among the judges but the man had his eyes on Harry, something which never failed to send shivers up and down his back, no matter how old he go. He tried to focus on the field to get his mind off of the man.

He was surprised when Sirius had actually come and joined their group. "Your dad told m you were the resident dragon expert in the school. Thought I would join."

Harry had a feeling it had been his Papa for Severus and Sirius were still not overly friendly but he nodded. "Charlie would give me a run for my money though."

Their attention went to the field where Fleur was the first one to take to the field, and was using some kid of charm to try and hypnotize the dragon. He cringed when she singed her arm o the fire and he was not all that surprised when her score was a bit lower. Cedric unfortunately also lost points when the dragon crushed some of the real eggs, when dealing with the dog which Cedric had created from one of the tones in the pit area.

Ron could be heard from down the way. "I am sure Krum will use a broom or something,. You know the fly boy will want to show off his moves as always."

Draco laughed and shook his head. "He should be talking about showing off. I would not be surprised if for once in his pitiful life though if he was right."

Harry would have done it if he had bee in the contest, for he was so natural on a broom, but he knew Viktor preferred to use his magic, and show his skill in the area. He used a spell into the eye of the dragon, and though Harry had to remind himself he was to be cheering for his own school to keep from cheering too loud, he could not deny he was happy when Viktor scored top marks for the task. He would cheer for Cedric because it was his school, but he would be happy if ay of the three of them won for he would have liked to see one of his two friends win the tournament as well.

Sirius it turned out had other reasons for coming down there. "Harry I was supposed to bring you. The headmaster wanted to se you after the task today."

Harry paled for he was reminded of the way the man had been looking at him. "Okay."

Sirius was aware of why Harry had bee taken to France, and had been on guard about the headmaster as well, for Harry's sake. He had always found himself trusting the man, but he could se in the short time he had come to the school, he had an unhealthy interest in Harry. Remus had been considered the sensible marauder for a reason, he had always been able to see past the headmaster, he did not have the same blind loyalty to the man as the other marauders had in the past.

Draco squeezed his arm before they parted ways inside. "Come fine me as soon as you are done. I want to know what happened with him."

Sirius said the same thing when they got to the office and he had to turn and leave, but he added. "Your dads will be expecting you for dinner."

Harry entered the headmaster's office not knowing what he should expect, and he was surprised that the man was not alone. More then that he was surprised by who was in the office with the headmaster. Harry had met the head of the aurors a few times before, he was of course Tonks' boss, but the man seemed odd that night, well odder then normal which for the disfigured auror was hard to accomplish.

Albus motioned Harry in. "You have gone above and beyond your DADA class and Alastor will be coming once a week to tutor you further this year."


	27. unforgivable curses

Though they had no idea what the headmaster was up to, Harry's dads told him he should not be worried, though he knew they were as well. Alastor Moody was a good man, Harry had know him, and his dads for years before, since he was a little boy. There was something different about him though, he was not sure what, but he was convinced that he had been acting odd. But Sirius had reminded him that the man had been his boss and trained both him and James when they had become aurors, and that he had helped protect Harry more then once. Harry thought it was kind of cool he would train under the man, but he did not understand why he was suddenly being allowed to move ahead in the class when he had been refused before. If there were any classes he should have been moved ahead in, they were potions and charms, though DADA was definitely up there as well, but he got extra training already unofficially in those classes.

The headmaster had claimed it was because the tournament was going on, and Harry did not have quidditch this year, so he would have moor time. He had been worried, or so he said, that if he allowed Harry to move ahead, the pressure would be too much on him to keep up to the older students. Now with no quidditch to worry about he would have more free time, and having Moody around would mean he would not need to be in a class with older students, not feeling that added pressure. His dads tried to comfort themselves with the thought that Alastor was likely there for added protection during the tournament, and Harry was only an excuse for this.

They had heard rumours though that the man had been off lately, that Harry was not the only one who thought he was different. He had been threatened with being forced to retire, Tonks had informed them, and the job at the school had basically been forced on him. Kingsley was running the department while he was gone, but he and Tonks, and Sirius who was still involved with the department, were sure they could have Alastor back in his job next year.

Harry was on guard though as he headed for the room of requirements the first weekend in December. It was the night of his first training session with the man. He had no idea what to expect but his Papa and godfather had told him they had told Alastor how far they had gone with his training.

Alastor watched him as he entered the room. "I have been going over your records. It seems you would have done James proud, as I am sure your dads as well."

Harry sat in one of the chairs there. "Papa and Uncle Sirius have told me that before. They told me that I would make quite the auror one day if I chose."

He had no desire to be, if he took after any of them it would be a potions master like his Dad, though he was considering being a healer. He thought he could combine his love for potions and charms and help people, not finding any real desire to work as an auror even if he had it in his blood. His Papa and Dad had both told him they would be extremely proud if he became a healer, knowing he had his mother's heart. Severus found himself imagining Harry training with Poppy here at school and perhaps becoming a potions master second class under him, first class would be too much stress on top of a healer. H always shook away the thought, his son was only fourth year and he had years before he would have to make such a choice, and his choice could change a lot in the time.

Moody put down the file. "I have been given permission from the headmaster and from my office to teach you some spells no students learn, to better your training."

Harry definitely was shocked by that. "I thought that I was just going head of my classes, to like sixth year or something."

The man shook his head, telling Harry that he could see he was above and beyond that, he would proceed further along then that. Harry was even more on edge when the man started to talk to him about the unforgivable curses which were called that for a very specific reason. They had never been taught, even to seniors, and Harry was stunned when the man demonstrated all three of them right there in front of him.

He had been fine, just shocked, for the first two, but when he noticed the green light of the killing curse, he was rocked badly. He had flashes in his head, and he of course had known it was the way his mother and James had been killed. He could remember just slightly having dreams of the flash when he was a little boy.

Moody noticed he was shaken and called an end to the session. "I just think you need to know. Constant vigilance Harry, constant vigilance."

Harry stumbled to his feet. "Thank you Professor."

Harry fled from the room and though he had said he would go and see Draco, he headed for his dads instead. They were both on edge already before Harry had gone, and when their son came barrelling into the room and into their arms, their hearts were racing. They were shocked and out raged their son had been shown such things, they had the right to be told at the very least before the man would try such a thing with their son. They were just eternally grateful he was the only one in the class, for they could only imagine if Neville had seen the demonstration. His parents had after all spent over decade in the hospital, driven mad by the cruciatus curse.

Remus led his son to bed. "You will sleep here for the night. And in the morning we will be talking to the man. He had no right to show you that in class."

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They spoke to Albus and Alastor that night in fact, and were irate to learn the headmaster had known. They argued they had every right to have been told first, for they should have known what their son would be taught, for they had been told he would only be shown spells sixth years were taught. Albus tried to calm down the situation, and in the end Alastor agreed if he showed something which was not on the syllabus, he would tell them first. Neither man was certain they believed him, and had every intention of having Lucius look into a way of getting Harry out of these.

They were woken later that night by the screams of their son, the worry he would have a nightmare one of the reasons they had kept him. They sunk down onto his bed with him, and took their son into their arms, trying to calm him down. He eventually settled into their arms and came around.

They were shocked when he admitted the dream was not about the curses. "I was a little boy, and......"

Severus had known his son was having the nightmares of when he was molested. "Harry, oh prince, its okay. You know I would never let that happen again."

They were not certain why Alastor had brought it on, the last time Harry had such dreams had been when he was nearly raped last year. They had a feeling it had more to do with the fact that the headmaster had been around him more, and Harry was worried about what was going on. They had tried to convince Harry they were not worried about the man but they knew their own concerns had been rubbing off on their son.

Severus convinced his son to take a sleeping draught. "Your Uncle Luc will work to get you out of these. I promise neither Alastor nor Albus will hurt you."


	28. ball revelations

The school had been abuzz with the talk of the ball since the start of the school year. As Christmas approached everyone was going crazy finding a date, and Fleur and even her sister were being bogged with requests. Harry was happy to be in love, to have no doubt who he was going with, and Draco felt the same way as he did. The two of them took a bit too much pleasure, or so their friends tended to think, of watching the rest of them scrambling to find a date. They were surprised even Viktor had not asked anyone, for if anyone was as popular as the Delacaur children for a date, it was of course the world famous quidditch player. Harry tended to think if Ron was bi he would have asked Viktor after he had been turned down by the Delacaurs, but Ron tended to be more homophobic then most muggle borns could be. But he sometimes still managed to look like some love sick puppy as he continued to try for an autograph.

The twins were the first after them for a date, taking their friends from the quidditch team, Angelina and Alicia. They had been dating the girls for a time off and on now, and other then Draco and Harry, were the only member of their group in a relationship of any kind. They were not the only members of their family with a date, for they had finally convinced Charlie to bring his boyfriend to the dance, Grant, since he would be chaperoning it. Blaise had asked Gabrielle who had been happy to go with him, having got to know Harry's friends quite well, and Fleur was set to go with Rodger Davies, a Ravenclaw.

Harry was surprised when he found out from Viktor that he had asked Hermione Granger to the ball. Hermione was smart and funny, she did not have the same bias towards Slytherin as much of her house did, but she was friends with Ron. Besides she was a bit of a book worm, worse then Harry, and she was not the kind of girl most would have expected Viktor would invite to go to the ball. Viktor admitted though he was quite smitten, having met her a lot in the library.

The Malfoys had come to the school and stayed with Severus and Remus, since the boys were staying for the ball. Viktor had been invited as well and the three boys had a sleep over of sorts in Harry's bedroom with his dads, while Sirius joined them in the morning to open gifts as well.

As they were heading for lunch later Viktor looked at the two of them. "You know I have to ask, which one of you gets to lead."

Draco laughed at that. "I think I better. You never saw him in the dance lessons we had before. Harry is bound to break my toes or something."

Though Harry tried to look hurt, he could not deny that he had two left feet, and was grateful that he was not a champion and would not have to dance in front of everyone. Draco kissed his boyfriend though as Harry had a hurt pout on his face from the comment, and assured Harry that he would risk his toes if he had to, he could not picture dancing wit anyone but him. Harry was smiling again by the time they got into the hall, though Viktor was groaning, calling them love sick puppy dogs. Harry reminded Viktor he could say the same thing later when they saw him with Hermione at the ball, but Viktor just shrugged, and did not try to deny it.

For the first time the Great Hall had all of the tables, for usually at Christmas there would have been one big table. The only students though who had gone home for the holidays were the third year and younger, or at least the ones who were not invited as dates, like Ginny had been invited to go by Neville.

Harry nudged Viktor in the ribs as he saw his eyes on Hermione. "You know you can sit at another table except opening and closing feasts. I am sure there is room."

Viktor was blushing like crazy at that but he shook his head. "I will stick with you guys and my house. Besides I have not seen my other friends today yet."

Of course he had been with them for gifts and the night before, so he had missed the traditions with his school. It had not bothered him much for though they were his school mates, only two of them were actual friends from school, and he had bee happy to join the Malfoys and Snapes instead. Soon their attention was drawn to the huge feast that was in front of them and all of the Christmas crackers which were always a favourite part of the meal.

Fred came over to them when they were done. "Come on you guys, we're going out for a snow ball fight before the girls and prissies need to get ready for the ball."

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Harry and Draco laughed and smiled as they came off the dance floor after another song. The ball had been going on for a half hour now, and after the formality of the champion's dance, the band had started and everything was fun and moving. Harry had smiled when he had noticed Madam Maxime and Hagrid dancing, and was shocked to see that Moody had even come to the dance. He was under the impression the man was there to tutor him, Harry still not comfortable wit the classes he had been forced to continue with, but he was reminded the auror were worried about the foreign students around as well.

Harry noticed that Charlie and his boyfriend had come in, and headed their way. He had met Grant a few times, a ministry employee who worked in underage magic, and he quite liked him a lot. It turned out that the two of them had a very special Christmas, and were late for they had been at the Burrow to share big news.

Charlie showed off the ring on his hand, when Harry, Draco and the twins came over, though Ginny joined soon. "Grant asked me to marry him, and I said yes."

Harry was the first one to claim his big brother and pulled him into a hug. "I am so happy for the two of you. I'm sure your mother must be over the moon."

Of course Molly was, for even though he was the first in her family to be gay, she had always welcomed Grant. She wanted her sons and daughter to marry and have kids, and Charlie and Grant planned on starting for kids right after they got married that summer. Grant would become a permanent face at school for he would be living here with Charlie. Ron had over heard and he was grinding his teeth, and could be heard to mutter that his brother was going to flaunt the family shame, he was going to humiliate the family even more then he already had.

Fred shook his head. "Don't listen to the prat, you know all the family besides him is behind you. Welcome almost to the family Grant."

Grant and Charlie had decided to take Grant's name for he was an only child, but he smiled, as he would still be a part. "Thanks, the rest already said it too."

Though Ron did not agree, the others thought it would be cool to have Grant here, especially when the couple started having kids. Charlie took his fiancé on to the dance floor and Harry ad Draco went to take a walk out on the grounds for they needed some fresh air. They stopped under some mistle toe, a muggle tradition that the school still often used, and Draco pulled Harry into a long warm kiss.

As he pulled back he whispered. "I know we're young and it would be years down the road, but I can see us married and with kids one day."


	29. second task

The second task of the tournament brought quite a bit of excitement, the students gathered out on the platforms, except for Harry. Harry and his friends had been surprised when he had been chosen, thinking Hermione would have been picked for Viktor. Hermione and Viktor had a decent time at the ball but it had ended there, and since Draco and Harry were close friends with him, it had been a choice between them. Though he had some friends among his classmates, he looked at Harry like almost a little brother since that summer, practicing quidditch with him all year, and he had been the choice. Gabrielle had sure enough been needed, as the person her sister was set to rescue, and Cedric's date for the ball, Ravenclaw quidditch seeker Cho Chang, was his person to recue from the lake. Severus was concerned about his son being used and had tried to convince the headmaster to use Draco or one of the Durmstang students but Harry had been chosen instead.

Draco looked worried for his boyfriend, as did their friends, as they sat up in the platforms as the event started. They had been assured that it would be no risk, that if the competitors failed to rescue their person, the merpeople would bring them up. But Draco did not like the fact that his boyfriend was down there, like Harry's dads he was concerned for things always seemed to happen to Harry, and they did no like it was Moody who had been all for Harry being down there. If there was anyone who worried them around Harry any more then the headmaster, it was Moody. He had known Harry for years, but h seemed more and more different, lately.

They noticed with shock that Fleur had to be rescued from the water, and that Viktor and Cedric were the only two left. Draco hoped more then ever that Viktor would finish this quick, both for the fact that he was kind of hoping their friend would win, and he of course wanted his boyfriend safe above the water again.

They were all shocked when someone on another platform called. "The two champions are coming up together."

Draco looked over the railing and sure enough they could see four heads about to break the surface. "What are they doing?"

The question was running through the group for it seemed strange that the champions would be coming up together, but everyone fell to silence. They could see that Cho was swimming on her own and that the two champions had the third body between them. Draco's heart went through his chest as he realized that Harry was completely unconscious between the two of them. They had been told they would be out, and they would wake when their heads hit the surface, put under a charm so they would not drown when they were down there, but they had hit the surface and Harry was out.

Viktor screamed for help as he paddled them towards the platform. "I need help, he isn't breathing. His oxygen bubble failed."

Draco ran down to the lower platform with Harry's dads. "This can't be happening."

As Harry was brought up onto the platform Severus sunk down to perform CPR on his son, Remus holding Draco back in is arms, Draco wanting to go to his boyfriend but he was kept in place. Remus was no less anxious about his son of course then Draco was, his heart was plummeting as he watched his little boy there, but he knew his husband and Sirius who had knelt to give them a hand, needed room to perform cpr and if Harry was going to make it, they needed to work fast. Draco clung to his Uncle in desperation, praying that it would work.

Both Cedric and Viktor were shaken, admitting they had got to their captives around the same time. Cedric had been about to leave when Viktor alerted him to the fact that Harry's bubble had burst, and that he had woken, starting to panic. Cedric had remained behind to help him, knowing the two of them, even with Cho, was quicker and knowing what was happening, the merpeople had made sure they had a clear path back to the surface.

Severus sighed in relief s his son began coughing up the water and breathing on his own. "Oh thank Merlin cub, you had us so worried."

Harry was slipping into unconsciousness fast but clung to his father. "Dad, what happened?"

Though they all wanted answers they took an unconscious Harry back to the school, and the infirmary. The boys had almost scored the same, but Cedric had been rewarded, as Viktor argued for it, extra points for staying behind and helping with Harry. As Poppy was checking Harry out, getting potions in him and putting him on oxygen for the night as a precaution, Severus and the two marauders demanded answers from the headmaster at how this could have happened to their son.

Albus sighed. "Unfortunately there are always risks with those kinds of spells, there is a chance when the boys were freeing their captives, they burst the spell."

Severus snarled at the old man. "I told you I did not want my son down there and you swore there was no risk to him. You call nearly drowning, no risk?"

The headmaster at least seemed to have the sense to know he was not wanted there right now and he slid away. Poppy assured them Harry would be released the next day when he woke but she suggested he go home to their rooms, and spend a few days getting some rest, till his energy was back to normal. Everyone was just relieved he was okay, especially Draco who had been barely breathing until he heard that.

Severus put an arm around his godson. "He will be okay Draco. You know we will make sure he remains safe."

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It was well past midnight and Severus and Remus were asleep in chairs next to his bed, fed sleeping draughts in their food by Poppy, as she knew they would not. She had assured them their son would be okay, but she knew they would always worry, and she assumed if she was a parent, she would have been the same. She had come to care about Harry quite deeply, and knew he wanted or at least was thinking of becoming a healer one day, and she too was shaken by his close call. She had reminded them he would be out till morning, and she would be here, and though they got Draco to go down to bed, they would not leave their son.

Two figures slipped into the room and looked down at Harry lying in the bed, not worried about the dads, they were alerted they had been put out for the night. They watched the boy sleeping and one placed a hand down on him and caressed him for a moment.

He turned to look at his companion. "You were just to scare the boy, not almost kill him. If not for the Diggory boy, he would likely have died."

His companion smirked. "You know I need him alive as much as you do, I knew the boy would be rescued. Do not lose sight of what we are doing."

The two men slipped away for they knew that Poppy would soon come to check, relieved their plan had worked, the second man not as sure as he let on that Harry would have survived. They both had very different motives, the first man not knowing his companion's true motives, but Harry's little brush with death had worked out perfectly and they knew their plans were right on track.

The first man turned to the other before he headed to his tower. "No more such close calls. We can't always count on the children being as quick as today."


	30. final task

Harry had been badly shaken after the incident of the second task, and against the wishes of Albus, Harry moved home for now. His dads had said it was either that, or Harry would be withdrawn all together, and in the fall he would go to Beauxbautons as once planned, and Lucius backed them up. The headmaster did not believe fully they would keep the whole threat; Harry having too much to leave behind in the UK, but at the very least they would remove Harry for the rest of the year. The last thing they needed was for Harry to head off to Malfoy manor, all of his plans would be done. If everything worked out for him, Harry would end the war by the end of the school year, and then he had other little plans for the little snake, but first things first and he knew business had to come before his own pleasure of course. But either way he needed Harry there at school with them, so he agreed to the little concession, reminding himself he did not really have any eyes and ears in Slytherin. He had tried to convince the hat to put the brat in Gryffindor, after all his parents had been, and he had befriended them when he was little, but the hat refused.

The night of the final task saw the three champions head into the maze, and once again found Fleur needing to be rescued. Albus had got close to Harry, having been alerted to the fact that the cup was a portkey, and he knew he needed to be ready. Harry would fight it, there were some small risk to the boy, but Alastor had told him about the plan for the night, and he was sure that the wording for the potion was the key to all of this; Harry just needed to trust him. He was sure even though the foolish child had been led astray by the Malfoys, and his adoptive parents, he would do as he was told. He had started Harry's training very young, those nights when he visited him with his relatives, and if not for Severus getting involved where he did not belong, Harry would have been his perfect little pawn long ago.

Harry was sitting with his dads, Draco and the Krums when the portkey had activated and everyone around them began milling with excitement and shock. No one had realized it was a portkey, and when word had come up Cedric had been the winner and was missing, the word spread like wild fire. The Krums headed down, to meet their son who was to be rescued from the center, and Harry and Draco started heading with them, slightly disappointed that Cedric had won.

Suddenly Albus snagged him by the arm and before Harry could do anything he felt a hand clamped over his mouth and a portkey was activated. When he recovered from the portkey he found himself next to a tomb and he could see there were others but they seemed unnoticed.

Albus pointed to where Cedric lie on the ground, he realized dead. "You will be taken by Moody. You will play along but you will give your blood by choice."

Harry saw Moody moving towards them and he fought. "I am not going to let you do this. No."

The headmaster whispered that Harry would go the way of Cedric and then hundreds if not thousands of others would die, in the war. Harry fought the man, fought as hard s he could but Albus had snagged his wand and Moody grabbed him by the neck. But he realized wit shock, that he had been right and Moody seemed wrong, for the man who held him began to transform and from the look on the headmaster, he had not known either.

Barty smirked at the headmaster. "You fool; you delivered him right into our hands. Well you will have front row seats for when my lord rises once again."

Albus was sure he was still right even if the man was not Alastor. "I'm sorry Harry. I promise I will take your body back to your dads."

Harry fought and screamed as he was dragged past the body of Cedric and he found himself tied to a gravestone. He looked at the other student lying dead, and knew the headmaster was there some where, watching and doing nothing. As the man he now knew to be Barty Crouch Jr came his way Harry fought the binds and the fear, as he saw the dagger in the hands. He heard the words of the spell though and for a moment he thought the headmaster was right, he thought the man might have a point, and though outwardly he continued to fight against the bonds, he focussed on his loved ones, focussed on all those he wanted to save, and willed them to cut him.

He watched as the blood was being taken and when the cauldron was feet away, he was shocked when he felt the bounds around him loosen. He felt himself free, not sure how, knowing he had not been able to do it.

He heard the headmaster whisper. "Get down, it should blow." And after a moment. "I called the order; they'll be here for you soon. I'll be back for you one day."

Harry knew the man was gone and he dove behind a gravestone. "Like you to leave a kid."

An explosion like a thousand fireworks going off in one bang filled the air and even behind a tombstone Harry was hit by some flying shards, his already cut arm, now having pieces of cauldron imbedded into his skin. He found his wand was back in his pocket but he could barely clutch it and when he moved to try and escape, he found himself coming face to face with a wand, seeing it was one of the Lestrange brothers who had escaped prison. One of them was Draco's Uncle by marriage, but Harry knew that was not something which would help him now, even if it was the right brother.

Rodolphus, it turned out it was, smirked at him. "You may have destroyed him but we will rise again, with a new lord. And your death will harold it in."

Suddenly Rodolphus was bowled over by a huge black form and Harry realized in shock. "Padfoot."

Sirius transformed into human form and Harry realized the headmaster had not been lying, and the order had been summoned, and were surrounding the others. Harry threw himself into his godfather's arms, neither of his dads being any where in sight, barely holding it together as the fear and the pain were coming to him. Sirius held his precious cub to him and knew he needed to get him back to his dads. Harry needed to be with them right now, before anything else.

He collected Harry and picked him up, Harry passing out. "You'll be safe at school soon cub. I promise we won't let you be hurt again."


	31. epilogue

Harry was shaken as he sat in the office which had belonged to the headmaster, but no one seemed to know who it would belong to now, as he was gone. Minerva was sitting behind the desk, she was acting headmistress in the place of Albus, but she needed to be officially appointed by the ministry before she took on the role. Harry had been made to give his testimony, Moody who had been recued from his trunk, had put his thoughts into a pensive for him. Amelia Bones, as well as a few other people including the minister of magic had come, and had watched all of his memories. All of the Death Eaters who had been in the graveyard, which unfortunately did not include Bellatrix and her brother in law who were still on the run, had been either killed or captured when they had been in the graveyard. Those who had been captured would face a trial in no more then two days time, and they would face the kiss this time. The only reason they had not received the kiss the first time around had been those who were not guilty, like Sirius, would have been tested, and would have proven themselves innocent, and they had not wanted to risk it.

The news of the Dark Lord being destroyed would soon spread through their world, and celebrations they were sure would be held for weeks, but not here. Here the news was marred, marred by the death of Cedric Diggory, who had been killed just after winning the tournament. There would be a memorial for him the next day here at school, before the students from the other schools returned home, as all three schools would pay honour to him. Harry could not get the image out of his mind, seeing Cedric lying dead on the ground in the graveyard, and doubted he would for a long time to come.

It seemed Beauxbautons would be the only school leaving the tournament with the same head of the school it had come with. Igor had been caught, and though a foreign wizard, he would be tried here. Though Albus was not a Death Eater, there was no doubt he would never be able to return to the school.

Severus wanted assurances of more. "That man has to be punished. This is not the first time he has endangered students of this school. Not even the first time on....."

Amelia cut him off. "We have a warrant for his arrest on numerous crimes including abduction and conspiracy charges. He faces Azkaban when we catch him."

If, they knew the word was if, for Albus was a man who was not simply going to allow himself to be captured. He was smart, he would know he would face life in a dark cell, he would be begging for the kiss by the end of it. He may have been old, and likely only had a few decades ahead of him, but most people lost their mind after only a decade, and for man with the power and the ambition of Albus, that would be the worse fate, well that and the world knowing what he had done.

Lucius turned to Minerva. "The school governors would like to extend an offer for you to become headmistress of Hogwarts. You have long ago earned the spot."

Minerva was surprised but she nodded. "I will do the school my best, as long as Severus would agree to be my assistant headmaster."

Severus agreed with the offer, not the next in seniority, but it usually went to teachers with the more power. Teachers like Vectra and Sinistra would support it, and Filius would have laughed if offered the job, for though an incredibly powerful wizard in his own right, he would likely retire in a few years, maybe a decade at the most, and he had no ambition to be the headmaster of the school.

Minerva made a suggestion that perhaps the marauders no longer needed to split the job of DADA any more, as she would not teach any more. Sirius had the practical experience in DADA and transfiguration as an auror but Remus had the training. But there was a summer to decide, and tonight was not the time for it.

Remus noticed his son was growing weary though. "I think such talk can wait. Our son is exhausted and after all he has been through, I think this can wait."

Before they were allowed to leave Cornelius came over. "Harry we would like to reward you with the Order of Merlin first class, tomorrow, for your bravery."

Though Harry protested he did not deserve the ward, everyone in the room disagreed with him, and he reluctantly agreed. He agreed on one condition though, he refused to have the ceremony the next day, for it was the memorial for Cedric. He had stolen the spotlight too many times over the years, and tomorrow was about a classmate who had died, and should not be made about him in even the slightest way. The others of course agreed that he was right.

His Dad held him when they got to their rooms and were about to head for bed. "I am so proud of you, how you handled both the graveyard and the office tonight."

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There would be time enough for celebrations, though there had been tons of them all over the UK the night before, but today was to honour another who lost their life. Though Cedric had no died fighting, he had not been a soldier in the war, his death was no less tragic and touched no fewer lives. He had been a popular student, and his death of the night of their victory hit hard, and the three schools were all mourning his loss, even the foreign students. Harry noticed a number of looks, and many students tried to get his attention and even ask for an autograph, but all he did was quietly remind them that the day was about Cedric.

He was surprised when the Diggories had come to him, and had offered him the money Cedric had won, saying he was the victor the night before. For a moment Harry though of what he could use the money for, helping the twins start their shop or something, but he knew he did not deserve the money.

He looked at Amos. "If you and your wife do not need the money, make a donation to the hospital in your son's name. Put the money to where it can do the most."

Amos nodded and clapped him on the back. "I think my son would have agreed that was a good use for the money. Thank you for your words at the ceremony."

Harry had barely known Cedric but had spoken, asked to say a few words, and he had hoped he had done Cedric some justice with his words. Severus watched his son, again impressed by his words, and not surprised by the donation suggestion. That morning Harry had once again spoken of his desire to be a healer one day, and his dads thought he would make an incredible one. He cared so much for people, and had too good a heart to be an auror, and they knew one day he would make it.

Harry pulled Draco into his arms and kissed him lightly. "I just hope this means we can have a normal school life finally. And Albus stays under what ever rock he is under."

Author note: So I have not decided if I will make this a trilogy, I was thinking of going into the future a bit. Unlike my last trilogy, my third segment would not be some mushy fluff piece; we have Albus to deal with still. But respond, tell me if you'd like to see a third instalment, if you'd read.


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